Luni-solar calendars
Moon months plus an extra month.
Short by days
Twelve lunar months add up to 354 days. A solar year is longer.
What can be done to keep the calendar in step with the seasons?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Twelve lunar months fall about 11 days short of the solar year, so luni-solar calendars count months by the Moon's phases but add an extra (intercalary) month, Adhika Maasa, every 2–3 years to stay in step with the seasons.
Short by days
Twelve lunar months add up to 354 days. A solar year is longer.
What can be done to keep the calendar in step with the seasons?
- Add an extra month every few years
- Do nothing
- Remove a month every year
Catch up
Press Next step.
Adhika Maasa
Luni-solar calendars count days and months by the Moon's phases, but make adjustments to stay in sync with the seasons. They combine elements from both solar and lunar calendars and are used in many parts of India.
12 lunar months = 354 days, nearly 11 days short of the solar year. A luni-solar calendar adds an extra month (Adhika Maasa) every 2–3 years.
Notes
Luni-solar: Moon months plus an extra month (Adhika Maasa) every 2–3 years.
Check yourself
12 lunar months fall short of the solar year by about how many days?
Answer: 11 days
They fall short by nearly 11 days.
An extra month added to some calendars is called …
A calendar that uses the Moon's phases and also adds an extra month to stay in step with the seasons is …
The extra month is added about every …
- Amavasya. Amavasya is the new Moon day.
- Purnima. Purnima is the full Moon day.
- Adhika Maasa — correct. Yes!
- a luni-solar calendar — correct. Yes!
- a purely lunar calendar. A purely lunar calendar has no extra month.
- a purely solar calendar. A luni-solar calendar uses the Moon for months.
- 2 to 3 days. It is added every 2 to 3 years.
- 2 to 3 years — correct. Yes!
- 20 years. It is added every 2 to 3 years.