Wibblestronomy Lesson

"The Wibble Moons" Astronomy Lesson #1:
The Phases of the Moon

I know that most of you are familiar with the various types of Moons out there: there’s the Blue Moon, the Harvest Moon, the Wolf Moon (I just learned about that one!) as well as your garden-variety Fulls, Halves, etc. This lesson is about two lesser-known and seldom-seen lunar phases, the Lunchbox Moon and the Waxing Wibbous Moon.

First up is the Waxing Wibbous:

So you think that things go haywire during a Full Moon? Just wait till you experience a Waxing Wibbous Moon! This phase generally precedes the Lunchbox Moon, and no particular constellations are associated with it. Sometimes you can even see Lunchbox perched on the tip – this is the only time that Lunar Lunchbox is visible to the naked eye.

Next we have the Lunchbox Moon:

When the conditions are just right, you can see the extremely rare and hard to find Lunchbox Moon in the sky; interestingly this is also the only time that you can also get a clear view of two of our most elusive constellations: the Big Lunch Pail and the Little Diaper, which are almost never seen independently of the Lunchbox Moon. Explain that one, Science!

The Lunchbox Moon was traditionally viewed as a good omen by native tribesfolk, which makes sense because when you have your lunch-pail and your diaper, what more do you really need?

So now you know what people mean when they say, “Once in a Lunchbox Moon” or, “Things sure are crazy around here, it must be a Waxing Wibbous;” you won’t have to just nod your head and smile politely anymore.