In Indian astrology, Moon and sun are generally mentioned as planets although neither is a planet although neither is a planet in the strict dictionary sense.
Moon is the planet nearest to the Earth. It is the only planet in the solar system revolving round and round the earth. Sun is said to be generator of power whereas Moon is considered as the conductor of power lent by sun. Only one half Moon receives light from Sun and this portion alone gets illuminated at any one time. Moon shines only by the reflected light of the sun.
The rays of the sun reflected by the Moon dispel the darkness of the night on earth just in the same manner as light reflected from a mirror placed in the sun removes the darkness inside the house.
Therefore the nature of Moonlight is the same as that of Sunlight but it is not self-luminous. The distance between the Earth and Moon is approximately 2, 38,000 miles. It moves round the earth which revolves round the sun.
Indian astrology describes obviously about lunar eclipse with example, Suppose a child holds the hand of its mother, the child goes around her rapidly. But the mother with child makes a big round, around a lighthouse. The child will be on some occasion, in between the mother and the lighthouse. One some occasion, the mother will be between the child and the lighthouse. When the child is in the line joining the mother and the lighthouse, the mother cannot see the lighthouse. In this manner, the solar eclipse is caused. But if the mother is in between the child and the lighthouse in the same joining line the mother prevents the light from falling on the child. That is, the earth is in between moon and sun and moon does not perceive light from the Sun. Thus Lunar eclipse is caused; Eclipses are formed in this manner, whenever all the three are in one line.
The moon is small in size. The diameter of the Earth is approximately 7,800 miles whereas that of the moon is only 2,200 miles. From beginning Indian astrology studied no water is said to be found in the moon. But at the time of the full Moon we notice the tides rise even as high as 40 feet. Actually the ebb and tide of the oceans are caused by the influence of Moon on earth.