Discover How a Lunar Clock Works

Have you ever considered how it would be if we kept time depending on the Moon’s position instead of the Sun?

Now the purpose of developing a Lunar Calendar is for it to be made use of by settlers on the Moon. It is quite different from the one that we employ on Earth. If you reside on the Moon, then you will require one, but otherwise not. However, you can at least support the concept.

Well, the Lunar year comprises of twelve days, and these are named after the earliest men who touched down on the surface of the Moon. A day is split into thirty time cycles, and each cycle is further split into twenty-four moon-hours. Now, each moon-hour is made up of sixty moon-minutes, and these in turn naturally consist of sixty moon-seconds each. Moreover, the conditions on the Moon’s surface are rather different from the conditions on the Earth. In the first place, there is continuous daylight for around fifteen days and there is total darkness for the next fifteen.

A sphere-shaped mass of rock goes around the Earth and this has a gravitational pull that has an effect on all aspects of life on Earth, including our own body clock. The Moon takes twenty-eight days to go around the Earth and this results in tidal changes, sometimes hiding from view the sun's rays, and producing spiritual and mental mood swings in individuals.
The Cycles

In order to discover the way a lunar clock operates we have to be aware of the cycles, which the moon moves in. Every twenty-eight days, the moon passes through five different cycles. For a single day, the New Moon occurs and this comes amidst the Waning and Waxing Moon. Now the length of a Waning Moon approximately is fourteen days and this happens to be the time when the moon changes from the Full Moon to the New Moon. Moreover, the Waxing Moon’s length too, is nearly fourteen days and it is the period that occurs between a New moon cycle and a Full cycle of the moon. Also, the Full Moon occurs only for a single day. Now, the three days before the Full Moon (i.e. portion of the Waxing cycle) have a much powerful gravitational pull including the day of the Full Moon. Now the length of these is not precisely twenty-eight days as at times, the Waning or the Waxing cycles take a lesser time period.
The Phases

Each cycle of Waxing, New, Waning, and Full has within them phases that they pass through. It is not possible to actually perceive a New moon in the sky irrespective of the lateness of hour. This is at times called the Dark Moon. While the moon moves into the Waxing cycle you will start to observe a sliver come into view until it develops into a Full Moon. Once the moon commences its Waxing cycle, it is at times called the Crescent Moon. Now one way to find out when exactly the moon Waxes and Wanes is by noting on which side the dark side becomes visible. When the Moon waxes, the dark side becomes visible on your left with the Waxing Moonlight shining to the right. It is for a very brief period that the Waxing Moon can be observed in the sky, like at sunset.

Once the Moon develops into a completely round sphere, it is called Full Moon. Now it will ascend nearly exactly when the sun sets and will become invisible just about when the sun rises. In fact, this is the least difficult Moon cycle to identify. A Waning Moon occurs when a Full Moon shrinks in size down to the New Moon. Now for around three days preceding and three days succeeding, the Moon still looks like a full one. But, if one is sharp-eyed you will be capable of making out the subtle changes as they take place every evening. On the right, the Moon starts to fade away and appears brilliant on the left. This is in total contrast to the Waxing Moon.

A simple method of memorizing the cycles is that when the Moon waxes it becomes large and when it wanes, it starts to get smaller.

On 21st July 1969, Neil Armstrong touched down on the surface of the Moon at 02:56:15 UT. For a calendar to commence, this point in time is the apparent choice. Hence, this is Year 1, day 1 cycle 1, 00:00:00

What is the need to comprehend this? Each moon phase exerts a varying gravitational pull and in the same way as those varying energy forces impact the tides, they also have an impact on you.

Source: http://www.stunningclocks.com