Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Mongolia | Ulaan Baataar | Full Moon

The Full Moon occurred here in Ulaan Baatar at 8:57 this morning. The exact moment of the Full Moon, with 100% illumination, lasts only for a split second, which I was able to catch on my live-time lunar calendar.
Moon with 100% illumination
Three minutes later the illumination had already dropped to 99.99999930 as the Moon began to wane. Keep in mind that although the actual moment of the Full Moon lasts only for a split second, for all practical purposes the moon is full for several days. According to my astronomical calendar the moon is full for three days and nights this month:
This of course marks the middle of the month according according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Today is the 14th day of the month of Shawwal.