lunation (loo-NAY-shun) - n., the period of time from one new moon to the next, a lunar month.
Average length is 29.530588 days, or 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds, but this can vary anywhere from 29.26 to 29.80 days because of the effects of the Sun's gravity on the Moon's elliptical orbit and drag from tides distributed unevenly across the Earth's surface. Adopted in the 14th century from Medieval Latin lūnātiōn-, stem of lūnātiō, a nominalized form of Latin lūna, moon -- so a "mooning".
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Average length is 29.530588 days, or 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds, but this can vary anywhere from 29.26 to 29.80 days because of the effects of the Sun's gravity on the Moon's elliptical orbit and drag from tides distributed unevenly across the Earth's surface. Adopted in the 14th century from Medieval Latin lūnātiōn-, stem of lūnātiō, a nominalized form of Latin lūna, moon -- so a "mooning".
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