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During which weeks in the moon cycle does the moon appear to be getting smaller
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To identify the weeks in the moon cycle when the moon appears to be getting smaller, also known as the waning phase, you can follow these steps:
1. Understand the Moon Cycle: The moon goes through various phases over a 29.5-day lunar cycle. It begins with the New Moon and progresses through the Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and finally returns to the New Moon.
2. Identify the Waning Phase: The waning phase occurs after the Full Moon, when the moon begins to appear smaller. It goes through the Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent phases.
3. Determine the Weeks: Each moon phase lasts for approximately one week, although it may vary slightly. Hence, to find the weeks of the waning phase, you need to determine the duration of the waning phase in days.
4. Calculate the Weeks: Subtract the duration of the waning phase from the total lunar cycle (29.5 days) to find the starting day of the waning phase. Divide the result by 7 (days in a week) to determine the number of weeks.
For example, if the waning phase lasts for 10 days, the calculation would be:
29.5 (lunar cycle) - 10 (duration of waning phase) = 19.5
19.5 / 7 = 2.79
In this case, the waning phase would span approximately three weeks.
Remember, the duration of each moon phase can slightly differ due to factors like the moon's position and the observer's location.