Thank you for buying Lunar Pal! Lunar Pal will let you see the current moon conditions and lots of other information about the moon on any given date.

Everything should be fairly self explanatory. Look at the 'Current' tab to see the current Moon information. The picture at the bottom will indicate, with the arrow and crescent, if the moon is growing or shrinking. If you tap this picture at the bottom you can see even more information about the current moon. The small arrows on ether side of the Moon will let you move forward or backward, day by day. If you tap the calendar tab, you can see the calendar, with Moon phases. Tap each day for more info on that day.

Some general pages about the moon.

Wikipedia on Moon - As always wikipedia has a great article to start you off on your Moon exploration.

moonconnection.com - Great site, lots of general info. It is all so full of articles on how to use the moon for planting plants, fishing, hunting, and many other things.

Moon at Perigee and Apogee - Inconstant Moon. Detailed explanation of the Moon at Perigee and Apogee.

Lunaf.com - Lunar phases, moon diet, lunar calendar, info about the moon and the celestial bodies, astronomy and astrology.

Popular Lunar Lore - A list of a few of the things people believe to be be effected by the moon. Believe them or not.

Farmers Almanac Moon site - One of the oldest almanac's around. They have a decent site on the moon.

NASA has a ton of great info on the Moon, here is some.

USNO moon phase data - Phases of the Moon and Percent of the Moon Illuminated

NASA website for Lunar Prospector - Lots of pictures and info about exploring the moon.

NASA Moon Pixs - Lots of really cool pictures.

K-12 Education - NASA's education portal

Check the links out for expanded information and pictures of Lunar and Solar eclipses.

Mr. Eclipse - Great eclipse photos of moon and sun.

International Occultation Timing Association - Very Technical look at eclipses.

Whether you're a kid at heart, want to learn the basics, or want to teach children about the moon, some of these links should be helpful.

K-12 Education from NASA - Great site with lots of education resources.

factmonster.com Explanation - Nice basic explanation from the Family Education Network

Phases Movie - Short movie that explains how the phases work. By Newton's Apple.

There is quite a bit of debate on how the Moon effects humans. The lore goes back very far with terms like Lunatic referring to people that act crazy during a full moon. Many people report not being able to sleep, or being 'manic'. Yet there seems to be little hard facts or studies to prove anything. Many people believe Lunar Astrology can predict the best way to live.

Wikipedia Lunar Effect - Wikipedia and some background and introductions on how the moon may or may not effect humans.

Lunar Living - Astrology site about the Moon's effect on you. I quote 'Astrological Resource Casting a magical new light on living with moon signs through astrology insight!'

Astrology.com Understanding Lunar Astrology - Bit more on the subject.

Plants are also thought to be effected by the moon. There are many folk planting guides and almanacs that depend on the moon phases.

Planting by the Moon - May the Force be with you while sowing seeds, mowing the lawn, pruning roses, composting, watering and more!

Moon phase gardening - does waxing and waning affect plants?

The tide is caused by the gravitational effects of the Moon and Sun. The moon effects them far more then the sun though. The phase and distance of the moon can help you determine tides. It also can help you know good times to surf.

Wikipedia Tide - as always wikipedia has a good introduction to the subject.

Moon Tides - How The Moon Affects Ocean Tides. Has some good graphics.

Moonconnection.com on tides - very complete page on how the moon effects the tides.

Surfing by the moon - Ken Ring tells us how to predict the surf by using moon phases.

There is some debate on if the moon can be used to help predict the weather. There is no doubt that it effects the weather, but can its current phase be used to help predict the weather?

The moon can help predict weather. - this site argues that the moon can in fact help predict the weather.

The moon does not predict weather. - this site argues that the moon does not predict the weather.

The moon effects fish and animals. Many animals depend on the phases of the moon to know when to do things like mate. Salmon use the moon to know when to travel upstream. Here are some links for hunting and fishing by the moon.

Moon effects on animals - explains the 'Solunar Theory' and how it affects fishing and hunting activities

Solunar.com on fishing - How the moon effects fishing.

There are many calculators out on the web. Most are accurate, but a few out there are not. Here are a few good ones out there.

Lunar Perigee and Apogee Calculator - See when the Moon is closest or farthest from the earth. Great for taking pictures.

Lunar Phase Calculator - Best on the net! by Stephen R. Schmitt Same equations I used for a lot of mine.

Moon and Sun rise and set calculator - Sun, Moon rise and set times and times for twilight for any latitude.

USNO Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day - Lots of information in this calculator.

Java for Astronomy - Lots of Java astronomy apps.

Another calculator - Moon phases and a bit more.

If you have any comments, bug reports, or suggestions PLEASE let me know. Please do not leave a negative comment to give me a bug or problem report. Email me and I will be glad to fix or add your suggestions.
Thanks!!
coolate@gmail.com
www.coolate.com

Lunar Pal
Version 1.5
© Copyright 2009-2012
Andy T. Evans
Moray Labs LLC
andy@moraylabs.com



Thanks to the following for such good examples!
Stephen R. Schmitt
SKY & TELESCOPE
Astronomical Algorithms By Jean Meeus
All that are in the calculator section.

Right now, only the moon rise and set times are calculated based on your current location. More to come.

All dates and times are Universal time (UTC); to convert to local time add or subtract the difference between your time zone and UTC, remembering to include any additional offset due to summer time for dates when it is in effect. For each perigee and apogee the distance in kilometers between the centers of the Earth and Moon is given. Perigee and apogee distances are usually accurate to within a few kilometers compared to values calculated with the definitive ELP 2000-82 theory of the lunar orbit; the maximum error over the years 1977 through 2022 is 12 km in perigee distance and 6 km at apogee.

The closest perigee and most distant apogee of the year are marked with "++" if closer in time to full Moon or "--" if closer to new Moon. Other close-to-maximum apogees and perigees are flagged with a single character, again indicating the nearer phase. Following the flags is the interval between the moment of perigee or apogee and the closest new or full phase; extrema cluster on the shorter intervals, with a smaller bias toward months surrounding the Earths perihelion in early January. "F" indicates the perigee or apogee is closer to full Moon, and "N" that new Moon is closer. The sign indicates whether the perigee or apogee is before ("-") or after ("+") the indicated phase, followed by the interval in days and hours. Scan for plus signs to find "photo opportunities" where the Moon is full close to apogee and perigee.

All information from www.fourmilab.ch
Thank you John Walker for putting this in the public domain!

Right now, only the moon rise and set times are calculated based on your current location. More to come.