AmavasyaAmavasya (Amāvásyā) represents the lunar phase of new moon in the Hindu calendar. A calendar month ends on amavasya as per the amanta tradition of the Hindu lunar calendar. Various Hindu beliefs and rituals are associated with the day. Hindu festivals including Diwali are celebrated on the amavasya day of various months.
PurnimaPurnima (Sanskrit: Pūrṇimā) represents the lunar phase of full moon in the Hindu calendar. A calendar month ends on purnima as per the purnimanta tradition of the Hindu lunar calendar. Various Hindu beliefs and festivals are associated with the purnima day of various months. EtymologyPurnima is derived from Sanskrit words purni meaning "full" or "complete" and ma meaning "moon" signifying the full moon. DescriptionIn the Hindu lunar calendar, each month has 29 or 30 days.
Lunar monthIn lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. VariationsIn Shona, Middle Eastern, and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon first becomes visible, at evening, after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening (e.g., in the Islamic calendar).
Lunar calendarA lunar calendar is a calendar whose months record the cycles of the Moon's phases (synodic months, lunations). This in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based on the solar year (which is about 11 to 12 days longer than twelve lunar months). It is also to be contrasted with lunisolar calendars, which also count lunar months but recover the accumulated differences by adding ("intercalating") a thirteenth leap month every few years.
TithiIn Vedic timekeeping, a tithi is a "duration of two faces of moon that is observed from earth", known as milа̄lyа̄ (Newar: 𑐩𑐶𑐮𑐵𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑑅, मिलाल्याः) in Nepal Bhasa, or the time it takes for the longitudinalangle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12°.
Hindu calendarCalendar used for religious purposes
FortnightA fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term fēowertīene niht, meaning "fourteen nights" (or "fourteen days", since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tidesIn astronomy, a lunar fortnight is half a lunar synodic month, which is equivalent to the mean period between a full moon and a new moon (and vice versa). This is equal to 14.77 days.
Lunar phaseA lunar phase or Moon phase is the apparent shape of the Moon's day and night phases of the lunar day as viewed from afar. Because the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, the cycle of phases takes one lunar month and moves across the same side of the Moon, which always faces Earth. In common usage, the four major phases are the new moon, the first quarter, the full moon, and the last quarter.
New moonFirst lunar phase, the definition varies A simulated image of the traditionally defined new Moon: the earliest visible waxing crescent (lower right), which signals the start of a new month in many lunar and lunisolar calendars. At new moon, mostly earthlight illuminates the near side of the Moon.
Full moonThe full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means that the lunar hemisphere facing Earth—the near side—is completely sunlit and appears as an approximately circular disk. The full moon occurs roughly once a month.
SanskritSanskrit (; stem form संस्कृत; nominal singular संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism.
MoonNatural satellite orbiting EarthSurface absorbed doserate13.2 μGy/h(during lunar daytime)Surface equivalent doserate57.0 μSv/h(during lunar daytime)Apparent magnitude−2.5 to −12.9−12.74 (mean full moon)Absolute magnitude (H)0.2Angular diameter29.3 to 34.1 arcminutesAtmosphereSurface pressure10 Pa (1 picobar) (day)10 Pa (1 femtobar) (night)Composition by volumeHeArNeNaKHThe Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.