Lunar days

Incorrect lunar days, lunar days and solar days

Natalie avatar
Written by Natalie
Updated over a week ago

Incorrect lunar days

Have you noticed that lunar days according to other sources differ from Moonly's sometimes? The information in the Moonly app is correct 🙏

All astrological systems can be divided into the Western and the Vedic branches. Moonly follows Vedic Jyotish astrology.

In Vedic astrology, the calculations of lunar days differ from Western. According to the Vedic system, a month consists of exactly 30 lunar days: 15 days for the Waxing Moon and 15 for the Waning Moon. In the Western calendar, the last day of the lunar month, the 30th, and sometimes the 1st lunar day, can last only for 2-6 hours.

At the beginning of the month, a shift is already happening, which leads to the one-day difference and the shift of the Moon in the sign of the zodiac.

Also, if you want to watch the position of the Moon in real-time, please visit the online planetarium — stellarium-web.org.

Both astrological systems have a right to exist and deserve respect. The main thing is to find a tool for yourself that resonates with you ❤️

Lunar and Solar days

In Vedic astrology, the lunar month does not depend on the rising of the Moon but rather on the longitude of the luminaries — the Moon and the Sun. When the angle between the Moon and the Sun becomes divisible by twelve, degrees in that case, a new lunar day (Tithi) sets in.

Different lunar phases are caused by the angular motion of the Moon relative to the sun. The speed of this movement is not constant, therefore the duration of the Tithi varies between 19 and 26 hours. As a result, Tithis, lunar days, have nothing to do with solar days, the duration of which is constant — almost 24 hours.

Therefore, the lunar day, Tithi, can begin at any time of the solar day. Also there can be two lunar days in one solar day ☀️

Did this answer your question?