The Moon is not a self-luminous body, but, like the Earth and the planets, it reflects the light which it receives from the Sun, and so appears luminous. That such is the case is sufficiently demonstrated by the phases exhibited by our satellite in the course of the lunar month. Every one is familiar with these phases, which are a consequence of the motion of the Moon around the Earth. When our satellite is situated between us and the Sun, it is New Moon; since we cannot see its illuminated side, which is then turned away from us towards the Sun. When, on the contrary, it reaches that point of its orbit which, in regard to us, is opposite to the Sun's place, it is Full Moon; since from the Earth we can only see the fully illuminated side of our satellite. Again, when the Moon arrives at either of the two opposite points of its orbit, the direction of which from the Earth is at right angles with that of the Sun, it is either the First or the Last Quarter; since in these positions we can only see one-half of its illuminated disk. The curve described by the Moon around the Earth lies approximately in a plane, this plane being inclined about 5° to the ecliptic. Since our satellite, in its motion around us and the Sun, closely follows the ecliptic, which is inclined 23½° to the equator, it results that when this plane is respectively high or low in the sky, the moon is also high or low when crossing the meridian of the observer. In winter that part of the ecliptic occupied by the Sun is below the equator, and, consequently, the New Moons occurring in that season are low in the sky, since at New Moon our satellite must be on the same side of the ecliptic with the Sun. But the Full Moons in the same season are necessarily high in the sky, since a Full Moon can only occur when our satellite is on the opposite side of the ecliptic from the Sun, in which position it is, of course, as many degrees above the equator as the Sun is below. The Full Moon which happens nearest to the autumnal equinox is commonly called the Harvest Moon, from the fact that, after full, its delays in rising on successive evenings are very brief and therefore favorable for the harvest work in the evening. The same phenomenon occurs in every other lunar month, but not sufficiently near the time of Full Moon to be noticeable. When, in spring, a day or two after New Moon, our satellite begins to show its thin crescent, its position on the ecliptic is north as well as east of that occupied by the Sun; hence, its horns are nearly upright in direction, and give it a crude resemblance to a tipping bowl, from which many people who are unaware of its cause, and that this happens every year, draw conclusions as to the amount of rain to be expected.