How many times a year does the moon go through its cycle or phases?
The moon goes through its cycle or phases, also known as the lunar cycle, approximately 12.4 times a year. To calculate this, we need to understand that the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days.
To count the number of lunar cycles in a year, you can divide the number of days in a year (365.25, accounting for the leap year) by the length of the lunar cycle (29.5 days).
365.25 days ÷ 29.5 days ≈ 12.4 cycles per year
Therefore, the moon goes through its phases around 12.4 times every year.