How many times a year does the moon go through its cycle or phases?

A lunar synodic month (the interval between new moons) is 29.53 days.

In a 365 day year, there are 365/29.53 = 12.36 lunar months.

The moon goes through its cycle or phases, which is known as the lunar cycle, approximately 12 to 13 times a year. To determine the number of times the moon goes through its phases in a year, you can follow these steps:

1. Understand the lunar cycle: The lunar cycle is the continuous cycle of the moon's phases as it orbits around the Earth. It begins with the new moon, followed by the waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and finally, the waning crescent, before returning to the new moon phase again.

2. Determine the length of the lunar cycle: The average length of the lunar cycle is approximately 29.5 days. However, it's important to note that the duration can vary slightly due to the moon's elliptical orbit around the Earth.

3. Calculate the number of lunar cycles in a year: To calculate the number of lunar cycles in a year, divide the number of days in a year (365 or 366 in a leap year) by the average length of the lunar cycle (29.5 days).

For example:
365 days ÷ 29.5 days = 12.37 (approximately)

So, on average, the moon goes through its cycle or phases around 12 to 13 times per year.