The mean time for one lunar phase cycle (i.e., the synodic period of the Moon) is 29.530589 days, or 29 days, 12
hours, 44 minutes, 3 seconds. More specifically, a lunation is also commonly defined as the mean time between
successive new moons. However, as a result of torques from the Sun, the actual time interval
between consecutive new moons varies greatly. Meeus (1988) gives a table of the shortest (29 days
06 hours 35 minutes) and longest (29 days 19 hours 55 minutes) lunations from 1900 to 2100.
New moons occur on Julian days
where n is an integer. The lunation number is defined such that lunation n = 1 corresponds to the first new
moon that occurred in 1923. The date on which lunation n occurs can be computed using
Lunation[n+284] in the Mathematica application package Scientific Astronomer, which returns results accurate to within about three minutes. The lunation number closest to a given date can be determined using Lunation[neardate]-284.
The following table gives the dates and times (in UT) for new moons in
2001-2004 computed using Scientific Astronomer.
| Lunation |
2001 Date (UT) |
Lunation |
2002 Date (UT) |
Lunation |
2003 Date (UT) |
Lunation |
2003 Date (UT) |
| 966 |
2001-01-24 13:07 |
978 |
2002-01-13 13:29 |
990 |
2003-01-02 20:23 |
1003 |
2004-01-21 21:06 |
| 967 |
2001-02-23 08:21 |
979 |
2002-02-12 07:42 |
991 |
2003-02-01 10:48 |
1004 |
2004-02-20 09:19 |
| 968 |
2001-03-25 01:23 |
980 |
2002-03-14 02:04 |
992 |
2003-03-03 02:36 |
1005 |
2004-03-20 22:41 |
| 969 |
2001-04-23 15:28 |
981 |
2002-04-12 19:22 |
993 |
2003-04-01 19:19 |
1006 |
2004-04-19 13:21 |
| 970 |
2001-05-23 02:47 |
982 |
2002-05-12 10:45 |
994 |
2003-05-01 12:14 |
1007 |
2004-05-19 04:52 |
| 971 |
2001-06-21 11:58 |
983 |
2002-06-10 23:47 |
995 |
2003-05-31 04:18 |
1008 |
2004-06-17 20:27 |
| 972 |
2001-07-20 19:45 |
984 |
2002-07-10 10:27 |
996 |
2003-06-29 18:38 |
1009 |
2004-07-17 11:23 |
| 973 |
2001-08-19 02:55 |
985 |
2002-08-08 19:15 |
997 |
2003-07-29 06:53 |
1010 |
2004-08-16 01:23 |
| 974 |
2001-09-17 10:27 |
986 |
2002-09-07 03:09 |
998 |
2003-08-27 17:26 |
1011 |
2004-09-14 14:30 |
| 975 |
2001-10-16 19:23 |
987 |
2002-10-06 11:17 |
999 |
2003-09-26 03:09 |
1012 |
2004-10-14 02:50 |
| 976 |
2001-11-15 06:40 |
988 |
2002-11-04 20:36 |
1000 |
2003-10-25 12:51 |
1013 |
2004-11-12 14:27 |
| 977 |
2001-12-14 20:48 |
989 |
2002-12-04 07:36 |
1001 |
2003-11-23 23:00 |
1014 |
2004-12-12 01:28 |
| |
|
|
|
1002 |
2003-12-23 09:44 |
|
|
