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MoonName |
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Calculates the name of the full moon according to the Maine algorithm.
function MoonName(lunation:integer): TMoonName;
Description In the native American cultures every full moons had a special name depending on the season, a tradition adopted by the Maine Farmer's Almanac. The algorithm of that almanac was rediscovered by Sky & Telescope while researching the blue moon tradition. According to this algorithm the moons were named according to their position to the equinoxes and solstices, every season has three regular moons. However as 12 lunar months are shorter then a year about every third year has a season with 4 full moons. In this case the third moon is called a blue moon, the fourth one gets the name the third one would have gotten.
The Maine algorithm has two specialities - it calculates the equinoxes and solstices with the dynamic mean sun instead of the real sun; and the spring equinox is fixed to be on the ecclesiastical equinox of March 20th to make sure the Pink (or Easter) Moon happens just before Easter.
Hint In additional to those names covered by the TMoonName type there are two other fixed names for special lunar events. A black moon is usually used to denote a second new moon in a calendar month; a blind moon a calendar month without any full moon. Both are a kind of opposite to the calendar blue moon. |