How long is 100 moons? And with it, how long since the first episode?

[Wingnut 7,000]

But voice aside, there's the fact their BODIES should have grown. Being just fillies, 8 years would make a HUGE change at a physical level, wouldn't it?   

Eeyup.  They would've grown a lot over that much time.  It might be my imagination but she looks smaller in episode 1.  Not enough to suggest eight years have gone by though. 

 

How old are ponies when their eyes no longer look like cockroaches anyway? 

[AnonBrony 1,468]

Or ya know... 100 moons could be Ol' Grannys way of saying a long time... But yeah its could be 8 years or whatever people are sayin'.

 

....wait a sec.... wasn't the last actual reunion was when Applejack was a foal? Right? correct me if I'm wrong but i think that was when the last reunion was. ... That would mean AJ is a little bit more than 8 years old? nah that can't be true... i don't think its 8 years or 100 full moons then if what i said was correct. Unless the moon cycles is different... Idk i don't think it would be to much relevance either. Granny is old and forgetful. Like i said i think she just said that to exagerate several years. And yeah i too don't think that meetin' in the first ep was a official family reunion. 

[Jaz 'Meow' Gag 0]

I'm doubting the eight years since the summer sun celebration, most likely AJ just called it the wrong thing by accident, as i don't recall seeing the quilt nor Apple Rose. Also the last proper one wasn't when Aj was a little filly in the photo album there is a photo of her with AB, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Rose, Braeburn and some other ponies giving more confusion, unless 100 moons is equal to 100 weeks which is only about two years, this could provide more explanation as to the time frame? At the end of the episode the moon is show in a crescent phase showing that it does have cycles

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

In a series of books I'm reading, the term 'moon' as a unit of time refers to a lunar cycle, or the amount of time elapsed between every full moon. Assuming the lunar cycle takes roughly thirty days like it does here, every hundred moons would amount to about one family reunion every 295 days 2,953 days. So... Every eight years, and then some. 

 

But, considering seasons have been proven to not work the same as in our real world (As evidenced by the existence of windigos and Winter Wrap Up), and that lunar cycles are surely a different length from in our world,  considering the moon is directly controlled by Princess Luna, odds are that these reunions occur more often. After all, as far as I can remember, there have been only two winter episodes, it appears only two years would have passed, considering these episodes were not contiguous. (I may be mistaken.)

 

I laid this out exactly in a different thread.

http://mlpforums.com/topic/43190-how-long-has-it-been-since-the-show-began/

 

"Now my basis for that is simple: Granny Smith says in Apple Family Reunion that the Reunion happens "Every 100 moons". This can mean once every passing of 100 full moons, which is in the order of once every 8 years or so.

Lunar orbital period = 29.53 days

Once every 100 moons means

29.53*100 = 1 reunion every 2953 days.

2953/365=8.08 years

 

That's an incredibly long time relative to how characters have developed, so it can't be fully right. And it can't be as frequent as 100 days on which the moon appears in the sky, because that might be as frequent as three times a year in some years.

 

The moon behaves differently in Equestria, making me speculate that it has a much shorter period than our moon does; it's closer and smaller so it looks the same in the sky, but has faster changing phases. One thing that's rare observed (if ever) in the show is the appearance of a new moon. (That is, the moon not being visible because of its phase.) It would be problematic if the period was the same as a day, because then yes every single night would have a full moon, but we'd run into a similar problem as calculating 100 moons on the basis of 'every night that the moon appears in the sky'. So, we'll have to theorize that the period of the moon is short enough but also long enough that it shows different phases, but that the new moon is minimized. I tried the math out and it worked that the period is only a quarter: a full revolution of the moon takes place in the same time as a traditional phase does for our moon. Thus:

 

Equestrian Lunar orbital period = 7.3825 days (Full moons appear for about 2 days a week, and the full orbit of the moon is about 7 days and 8 hours.)

Once every 100 moons means

(29.53/4)*100 = 1 reunion every 738.25 days. (We'll ignore the quarter-day for simplicity.)

 

738/365 = 2.022 years. (Every 2 years and 8 days.) Therefore it's been a tad more than two years since the last Apple Family Reunion and therefore the same amount since the Summer Sun Celebration before last, when Twilight Sparkle first came to Ponyville. (Applejack confirms that the Apple Family Reunion coincided with the Summer Sun Celebration in S1E1 Friendship is Magic, part 1 by saying so in S1E3 Applebuck Season.)

 

Thus all of Season 1, 2 and 3 up to now can be placed within taking a little more than two chronological and years. The order within those years is generally kind of screwed up (there are other threads for chronology within the episodes) but at least we know they're taking place within the same years.

 

Quot erat demonstrandum.

 

Full moons: more than a weekly phenomenon in Equestria."

[Night Shine 767]

I was actually thinking about this earlier...

 

Generally, when somepony says "moons", they mean "months". I'm not sure if MLP has something different from this, because if they don't, then this means that from S1E1 to S3E8 it has been 8.3 years.

 

o.o

[AB Sammich 0]

If you watch the episodes in order you will find that they did not occur in chronological order. If they did, a full six months would have gone by in 2 episodes (Winter Wrap Up was 2 episodes before Fall Weather Friends). As a result, Diamond Tiara's cutecenera would have been the only episode worthy happenning in that time. Thus, the only way of telling how long it is that It's About Time starts on   May 4(Spike guesses that they missed Arbor Day, the last Friday in April, and Twilight's page-a-day calendar has a huge number 4). Ironically, with all the mentions of full moons being the only moons shown, the episode in question has a waning crescent.

 

Also, Hearts and Hooves Day technically counts as a winter episode. Just wanted to put that out there.

Edited January 4, 2013 by AB Sammich

[Jessper 735]

100 moons almost definitely means 100 months. Used to be that by saying moon, you meant full moon, which is almost identical to one month as we say today. But then again, it kinda looks like there's a full moon everyday in Equestria. Also, it doesn't orbit the planet, it's summoned by Luna. Same thing with the sun. Meaning the planet doesn't orbit the sun. Meaning... Ermmmm....

 

Conclusion: Don't think about things like this too much. 

[Tebbzy 2]

I read most of the replys in this topic. the Apple family was together for the summer Solstice in the first episode. Apple jack said so in a later episode. and does it really matter if it is 1 year or 8 years. i don't think the writers care to put it all in a timeframe. there is some episodes the happen in summer and the next in winter then back to summer.i think you are over thinking things here. i could write i lengthy replay to tell you all my point in this matter but I know it is a waste of time. you will believe what you want and most likely you will disagree. and i hate having to show other ponies how right i am.

[Arcanel 3,041]

 

and i hate having to show other ponies how right i am.

 

You enjoy less the thread for thinking we enjoy less the show by overthinking stuff. Plus, overthinking lead to imagination, which lead to fandom soooooooooooooooooo...

 

Where's the fun in not trying to figure out things?  

[Lionheart27 33]

Every hundred moons is about eight years, which is a long time between reunions, since many families do it every year or so. Of course, it could be a completely arbitrary measurement of time, and if so, could stand for practically anything.

[Scootalove 10,689]

100 moons is probably about 10 years each. Since, the moon goes through a cycle and probably 100 moons is basically each cycle going around each and every 10 years.

[SkyeSilverwing 0]

I think that Moons, in this case, are actually referring to the cardinal Moon Phases, which there are about four per month. That brings the Apple Family reunion to about once every 25 months, or a little over two years. That fits far better with my view of how much time seems to have passed, and it explains why the Apple reunion can take place on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration and the not mention the Summer Sun Celebration the next time it came around.

[Forlong 1,726]

2800 days, obviously.  That's about 7.67 years.  Interestingly, this is evidence that AJ is over 15 years old, as she was a baby at a previous reunion.

[Fluttershutter 2,505]

By "moon" I think she's meaning weeks.

From new moon to first quarter moon to full moon to last quarter moon back to new moon they're each seven days.

That makes sense because you'd think each season is about a year and this episode was near the end of the second season.

[Forlong 1,726]

Okay, I need to adjust my numbers because I found out that the moon orbits the Earth once every 27.5 days.  That would make 100 moons out to be 2,750 days or 7.53 years.

 

Now I'd say the "Apple Family Reunion" in the first episode was just retconned and they were there for the Summer Sun Celebration.  I mean, that is where Celestia herself was.

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

100 moons would be equal to 2800 days, or about 7 years and 7 months (approximately)

 

(or at least this is according to the EARTH'S Lunar cycles)

 

But it might be different in Equestria.

[Randomfacts137 61]

I laid this out exactly in a different thread.

http://mlpforums.com/topic/43190-how-long-has-it-been-since-the-show-began/

 

"Now my basis for that is simple: Granny Smith says in Apple Family Reunion that the Reunion happens "Every 100 moons". This can mean once every passing of 100 full moons, which is in the order of once every 8 years or so.

Lunar orbital period = 29.53 days

Once every 100 moons means

29.53*100 = 1 reunion every 2953 days.

2953/365=8.08 years

 

That's an incredibly long time relative to how characters have developed, so it can't be fully right. And it can't be as frequent as 100 days on which the moon appears in the sky, because that might be as frequent as three times a year in some years.

 

The moon behaves differently in Equestria, making me speculate that it has a much shorter period than our moon does; it's closer and smaller so it looks the same in the sky, but has faster changing phases. One thing that's rare observed (if ever) in the show is the appearance of a new moon. (That is, the moon not being visible because of its phase.) It would be problematic if the period was the same as a day, because then yes every single night would have a full moon, but we'd run into a similar problem as calculating 100 moons on the basis of 'every night that the moon appears in the sky'. So, we'll have to theorize that the period of the moon is short enough but also long enough that it shows different phases, but that the new moon is minimized. I tried the math out and it worked that the period is only a quarter: a full revolution of the moon takes place in the same time as a traditional phase does for our moon. Thus:

 

Equestrian Lunar orbital period = 7.3825 days (Full moons appear for about 2 days a week, and the full orbit of the moon is about 7 days and 8 hours.)

Once every 100 moons means

(29.53/4)*100 = 1 reunion every 738.25 days. (We'll ignore the quarter-day for simplicity.)

 

738/365 = 2.022 years. (Every 2 years and 8 days.) Therefore it's been a tad more than two years since the last Apple Family Reunion and therefore the same amount since the Summer Sun Celebration before last, when Twilight Sparkle first came to Ponyville. (Applejack confirms that the Apple Family Reunion coincided with the Summer Sun Celebration in S1E1 Friendship is Magic, part 1 by saying so in S1E3 Applebuck Season.)

 

Thus all of Season 1, 2 and 3 up to now can be placed within taking a little more than two chronological and years. The order within those years is generally kind of screwed up (there are other threads for chronology within the episodes) but at least we know they're taking place within the same years.

 

Quot erat demonstrandum.

 

Full moons: more than a weekly phenomenon in Equestria."

So many numbers...

 

Anyway, I agree with this person, that the lunar cycles of Equestria are shorter than those on Earth, and just over two years seems to be a logical amount of time. 

[XrosOver 613]

I think 100 moons is a little over five years if you go off of a celestial year of one month.  As for the time since the show started... mabye three or four years. We dont exactly have an accurate chronological scale for the show. 

[Flutter's lover <3 8,206]

well, 1 "moon is one entire moon phase/lunar cycle, Full moon to full moon. the Lunar cycle is 29.5 days., so there's 12  two years in a row, then the 3rd year is 13 full moons, and that extra moon is what a "blue moon" is. there'll be another blue moon in 2015

[Forlong 1,726]

Equestria Girls implies that the measurement of a moon is the same as it is in reality.  Okay, according to the photos in Principle Celestia's office, Sunset Shimmer had been princess at three dances prior.  There's a princess of the Spring Fling and Fall Formal, so that puts her in the school for at least 2 years.  30 moons is just a bit more than 2 years.  So a moon is the same in Equestria as it is in our world.

 

Forlong: Master Analyst, out!

[RrVPfX9cPtw59FpC 1,304]

Didn't Twilight have to write to Princess Celestia everyday? If that's the case, then I believe that 100 moons is around three months. Think about it. All of these episodes have a possibility of occurring in a three month period; this sounds the most plausible to me.

Actually, it's every week. That's what Lesson Zero is all about, and after that episode, it just became whenever Twilight had something to report to the Princess.

[Dark Horn 430]

I would like to bring a new piece of evidence to the table. In Equestria Girls, the *SPOILER ALERT* mirror portal only opens every 30 moons, and Twilight said that that was a very long time. Thirty days isn't that long, and thus doesn't make any sense, though 30 full moons is pretty long and thus fits the bill.

 

'Tis my answer.

[Brainstorm 4,112]

In Mlp Equestria Girls movie, Princess Luna said that the portal opens once every thirty moons, how long is thirty moons? a month?

[Forlong 1,726]

In Mlp Equestria Girls movie, Princess Luna said that the portal opens once every thirty moons, how long is thirty moons? a month?

What?  NO!  That would be 840 days.  About 2 years and 4 months.  Plenty of time for Sunset Shimmer to get acclimated to the EG universe, become popular, and turn evil.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Well, a full rotation of the earth is one year.

 

For a moon, it's one full rotation of I believe a year.

 

Basically, it's about a 100 years in comparison to the earth.