Lunisolar calendar

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lunisolar-calendar

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the calendar type?A lunisolar calendar synchronizes lunar months with the solar year
2. What is the primary applications?Cultural festivals, religious observances, agricultural planning, and determining auspicious dates
3. Why do lunisolar calendars add an extra month?Adding an extra month helps the calendar stay in sync with the seasons. It catches up the 354‑day lunar year to the 365‑day solar year.
4. How often is an extra month added?An extra month is usually added every two or three years. In a 19‑year Metonic cycle, 7 extra months are added.

Synodic Period: The average time for the Moon to complete one cycle of phases (e.g., new moon to new moon), approximately 29.53 days.
Embolismic Month: An extra, or intercalary, month added to a lunisolar calendar to keep it synchronized with the solar year.
Intercalation: The systematic insertion of extra time units (days or months) into a calendar to reconcile different astronomical cycles.
Metonic Cycle: A period of 19 years in which 7 intercalary months are added to a lunisolar calendar, resulting in a close alignment with the solar year.