Published 20:05 IST, September 10th 2020
Last quarter moon on September 10 details; What does it look like?
Last quarter moon will appear on September 10, 2020. Here are more details about the it and what time to look at the moon to witness the last quarter moon.
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September 10th will mark the last quarter moon. It will appear half lit by sunshine and half immersed in its own shadow. The last quarter moon rises in the middle of the night, sets at noon, and transits the meridian at Sunrise. Here is more information about it
Last Quarter moon time
The best time to watch the last quarter moon is shortly after moonrise that is shortly after midnight. The shadow dividing their night on the moon it’s called the lunar Terminator and shows where it is sunset on the moon. The last quarter moon can also help and identifying the Earth's direction of motion in orbiting around the sun. Using the last quarter moon as a guidepost to find Earth's direction around the sun is easy as it can be done from anywhere in the world.
What does last quarter moon look like?
The last quarter moon appears to be immersed in its own shadow. It so happens that the last quarter moon is only half lit up by sunlight and the other half does not receive sunlight to reflect then for it appears to be immersed in its own shadow. Last quarter moon and half-moon look similar as both look like a semi-circle. The last quarter moon shows how ½ of the moon disk is illuminated, the side that reflects the sunlight and the other half is either not visible at all or is immersed in complete darkness.
When does a last quarter moon phase appear?
- Last quarter moon phase appears after a week of the full moon phase. After the last quarter moon phase, the moon starts to move towards the new moon or complete dark moon.
Dates for moon phases for India:
- The full moon also is known as Full corn moon appeared on September 2nd.
- 3rd quarter moon will appear on September 10th.
- The new moon will appear on September 17th
- The first quarter phase of the moon will appear on September 24th
Differences between a new moon and the 3rd or last quarter phase the moon
It is dependent on which side of the moon is lit up while facing the orbiting around the earth. When the side facing the sun is lit up, it is called Half Moon phase. When the side away from the sun while orbiting the Earth is lit up, it is called the Last quarter or 3rd quarter phase of the moon.
All picture credits to Shutterstock
20:04 IST, September 10th 2020