Full Moon and Quarter Moon

When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

Of course, there are reasons for the names we use; but I don't believe
there are any "good" reasons for the mutually contradictory terms used
for the above mentioned lunar phases.

It's enough to make one wonder if some organization (comparable to the
IAU) long, long ago felt there was no choice but to accept a
compromise between two lunar phase nomenclature systems. After all,
the current system has all appearances of having been adopted by a
group of lunatics!

Does this discrepancy exist in other countries?

Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Wouldn't it be nice if two halves equaled one whole (or two quarters
equaled one half) in astronomy just as it does in mathematics?

Willie R. Meghar
Observational Notes at:
http://meghar.blogspot.com/

In article ,
Willie R. Meghar wrote:
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

We do also call it a half moon, at least in Britain.

The terms "first quarter" and "last quarter" refer to the quarters of
the lunar month rather than the illuminated portion of the moon.

Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Please, no. If people find it confusing they can refer to "half moons"
without any need for authorisation.

-- Richard

Willie R. Meghar wrote:


Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Wouldn't it be nice if two halves equaled one whole (or two quarters
equaled one half) in astronomy just as it does in mathematics?

Willie R. Meghar
Observational Notes at:
http://meghar.blogspot.com/

Why not ask the IAU rather than an amateur astronomy newsgroup which has
no authority?

Willie R. Meghar wrote:
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

I think you're mistaking cause and effect. Many kids I've met who are
learning fractions aren't even aware of the terms "first quarter" and
"last quarter." Those who are aware of them generally haven't a problem
at all with fractions.

I'm not crazy about the workbooks they use nowadays. I think that has
more to do with kids and fractions than lunar phase nomenclature does.

--
Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.html

"Willie R. Meghar" wrote in message
...
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".


When my son was about 4 years old he described it as the 'apple moon' .

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 21:01:30 -0700, Willie R. Meghar
wrote:

When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

We may say "first quarter", but we don't say "quarter moon". Note that
this is the ordinal "first", not "one quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

We say "second quarter", or we say "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

Of course, there are reasons for the names we use; but I don't believe
there are any "good" reasons for the mutually contradictory terms used
for the above mentioned lunar phases.

What contradiction? You are talking about two different things. When
discussing phases, well educated people often refer to first quarter
(half moon waxing), second quarter (full moon), third quarter (half
moon waning), and fourth quarter (new moon). I don't know anybody,
educated or otherwise, who calls the half-illuminated moon a "quarter
moon".

It's enough to make one wonder if some organization (comparable to the
IAU) long, long ago felt there was no choice but to accept a
compromise between two lunar phase nomenclature systems. After all,
the current system has all appearances of having been adopted by a
group of lunatics!

Lunar phases are completely rational: they are expressed as a
percentage from 0% to 100%, and naturally the quarters tend to be
called 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

Common names are also rational, although they follow a different
system: new, half, and full.

I don't think this is confusing school kids, or damaging their math
skills.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

a couple of months ago, I saw a 5/4 moon! but it got cloudy before I could
take a picture. How's that for math edumacation? :-)



"Willie R. Meghar" wrote in message
...
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

Of course, there are reasons for the names we use; but I don't believe
there are any "good" reasons for the mutually contradictory terms used
for the above mentioned lunar phases.

It's enough to make one wonder if some organization (comparable to the
IAU) long, long ago felt there was no choice but to accept a
compromise between two lunar phase nomenclature systems. After all,
the current system has all appearances of having been adopted by a
group of lunatics!

Does this discrepancy exist in other countries?

Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Wouldn't it be nice if two halves equaled one whole (or two quarters
equaled one half) in astronomy just as it does in mathematics?

Willie R. Meghar
Observational Notes at:
http://meghar.blogspot.com/

In article ,
Tom wrote:
a couple of months ago, I saw a 5/4 moon! but it got cloudy before I could
take a picture. How's that for math edumacation? :-)



"Willie R. Meghar" wrote in message
.. .
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

Of course, there are reasons for the names we use; but I don't believe
there are any "good" reasons for the mutually contradictory terms used
for the above mentioned lunar phases.

If you want to be consistent, use a consistent set of terms:

Half, waxing = first quarter
Full = second quarter
Half, waning = third quarter
New = fourth quarter

The inconsistency is due to picing the terms from one column each
other phase, and the other columns each other phase

And the reason one say "first quarter" and "third quarter" is to
distinguish the waxing half from the waning half phase.

But if you want to be consistent, say either:

half, full, half, new

or:

first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter

but don't mix the two sets of terms.


It's enough to make one wonder if some organization (comparable to the
IAU) long, long ago felt there was no choice but to accept a
compromise between two lunar phase nomenclature systems. After all,
the current system has all appearances of having been adopted by a
group of lunatics!

Does this discrepancy exist in other countries?

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Why don't you ask the IAU instead of us? This is not the IAU, this
is sci.astro.amateur. But I doubt they'd be willing to do this - they
probably don't want to get even more ridicule, after the show about
the definition of the word "planet"....

Btw, this is a question about nomenclature, not about science....

Wouldn't it be nice if two halves equaled one whole (or two quarters
equaled one half) in astronomy just as it does in mathematics?

Well, now YOU must educate yourself! The "quarter" doesn't refer to
a quarter of the full lunar phase, but instead of a quarter of the
moon's (synodic) orbit! And indeed, four quarters does equal one
full revolution.....

Willie R. Meghar
Observational Notes at:
http://meghar.blogspot.com/



--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW: http://stjarnhimlen.se/

Paul Schlyter wrote:
In article ,
snip
"Willie R. Meghar" wrote in message
.. .
snip

If you want to be consistent, use a consistent set of terms:
Half, waxing = first quarter
Full = second quarter
Half, waning = third quarter
New = fourth quarter

Yeh, that's too simple. It needs to be more obtuse. - What about
equal time for "gibbous" waxing and waning (3/4 illumination) and
"crescent" waxing and waning (1/8 illumination). Or do I have my
phases and illuminated fractions mixed up?

- Canopus56

uh-oh, somebody's uptight. I was just making light of the ongoing question.
have a beer. :-)



"Paul Schlyter" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Tom wrote:
a couple of months ago, I saw a 5/4 moon! but it got cloudy before I could
take a picture. How's that for math edumacation? :-)



"Willie R. Meghar" wrote in message
. ..
When half the earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
(in the U.S.) call the lunar phase: "quarter".

When the whole earth-facing hemisphere of the moon is illuminated we
call the lunar phase: "full".

Is it any wonder that so many children in the U.S. have difficulty
understanding science and fractions (math)?

Of course, there are reasons for the names we use; but I don't believe
there are any "good" reasons for the mutually contradictory terms used
for the above mentioned lunar phases.

If you want to be consistent, use a consistent set of terms:

Half, waxing = first quarter
Full = second quarter
Half, waning = third quarter
New = fourth quarter

The inconsistency is due to picing the terms from one column each
other phase, and the other columns each other phase

And the reason one say "first quarter" and "third quarter" is to
distinguish the waxing half from the waning half phase.

But if you want to be consistent, say either:

half, full, half, new

or:

first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter

but don't mix the two sets of terms.


It's enough to make one wonder if some organization (comparable to the
IAU) long, long ago felt there was no choice but to accept a
compromise between two lunar phase nomenclature systems. After all,
the current system has all appearances of having been adopted by a
group of lunatics!

Does this discrepancy exist in other countries?

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would the IAU be willing to draft and adopt a more rational,
scientific, lunar phase nomenclature?

Why don't you ask the IAU instead of us? This is not the IAU, this
is sci.astro.amateur. But I doubt they'd be willing to do this - they
probably don't want to get even more ridicule, after the show about
the definition of the word "planet"....

Btw, this is a question about nomenclature, not about science....

Wouldn't it be nice if two halves equaled one whole (or two quarters
equaled one half) in astronomy just as it does in mathematics?

Well, now YOU must educate yourself! The "quarter" doesn't refer to
a quarter of the full lunar phase, but instead of a quarter of the
moon's (synodic) orbit! And indeed, four quarters does equal one
full revolution.....

Willie R. Meghar
Observational Notes at:
http://meghar.blogspot.com/



--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW: http://stjarnhimlen.se/