Amol was born on 6th of May on a full Moon day. Does his birthday fall on the full Moon day every year? Explain your answer.
No, Amol's birthday will not fall on the full Moon day every year.
The lunar cycle (from one full Moon to the next) takes about 29.5 days, while the solar calendar year has 365 days.
Since 365 is not divisible by 29.5, the full Moon day shifts by about 11 days earlier each year in the solar calendar. Therefore, the full Moon will fall on different dates each year, and only occasionally will it coincide with 6th May again.
Explanation
The chapter explains that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to cycle through all its phases. The lunar year consists of 12 lunar months totaling about 354 days, which is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar year of 365 days. This difference causes the dates of Moon phases to shift in the solar calendar each year. Festivals based on lunar phases like Diwali and Eid-ul-Fitr occur on different Gregorian calendar dates each year for this reason.
Solution Steps
Amol's birthday will not fall on the full Moon day every year
The lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days from one full Moon to the next
The solar calendar year has 365 days
Since 365 is not divisible by 29.5, the full Moon day shifts by about 11 days earlier each year
The full Moon will fall on different dates each year and only occasionally coincide with 6th May