14 August 2014
The Short Answer (TSA)
Actually, the Moon, alone, can’t have “syzygy.” In astronomy, the word syzygy requires at least three “celestial bodies” positioned in a straight line.
So, at the Full Moon, the Earth is exactly between the Sun and Moon. Viewed from space, all three, the Sun, Earth and Moon, appear to form a straight line. And this is called a syzygy. At the New Moon, the Moon is exactly between the Sun and Earth. Again, if you could see all three, the Sun, Moon and Earth, from a point out in space, they would appear to form a straight line. And, again, this is another syzygy.
Syzygy
Sometimes the word syzygy is misused to describe the alignment of three or more planets in our solar system. For example, the conjunction (all in the same place in the sky) of Venus, Mars and Jupiter has been mistakenly called a syzygy. But, again, only the Sun, Earth and Moon, positioned in a straight line, can form a true syzygy.
By definition, the syzygy has gravitational effects within the Sun, Earth and Moon group. Most obvious are the gravitational effects of New and Full Moon syzygies on the ocean tides. Formal scientific studies show that the positions of the Sun and Moon do not affect earthquake or volcanic activity on Earth. But it is known that New and Full Moons cause gravitational stress on the Moon and trigger “moonquakes.”
Lots of Moons & Music 