The fact that the Earth-Moon system orbits the Sun (covering 30° per month)while the Moon orbits Earth means that,compared with one lunar orbital (sidereal)period,the time between successive full Moons (the synodic month)is:

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The synodic month is the time between successive full moons, which is approximately 29.5 days. However, during this time, the Earth has also made one orbit around the Sun. Therefore, the Moon needs to travel further in its orbit to return to the same phase (full moon), making the synodic month about 2 days longer than the sidereal (lunar orbital) period.

The Fact That the Earth-Moon System Orbits the Sun (Covering