Lunar or Solar phases considered secret on some Military Projects/Missions?

Why do some military special missions or projects consider Lunar or Solar phases to be secret sometimes?
A lot of that info is available to us from the internet anyways.

So if some time military project or missions that take place, why are the Lunar or Solar phases or even Sunrise and Sunsets considered to be SECRET?

a reply to: darpa999

Because the times are probably for the target area, and they don't want people to be able to figure it out using them.

On some mapping tools they either have a green unclass or the red secret banner on top of the program especially on Lunar/Solar phases.

I just find it odd that this info is on the internet for the general public to lookup.

a reply to: darpa999

You'd be surprised what is out there if you look in the right places. It's mostly for subcontractor use, so they don't have to send out a hundred emails, or develop software to give them all.

Dusk and dawn , or first light lastlight as it's known is traditionally the time most favorable to offensive operations, due to the targets probable change from a day to night routine or vica versa and as such not as organised or prepared, night vision aids is an example I often use to describe this
the attacking force stands ready to strike at last light in night vision aids, the defending side are struck at dusk thus not fully prepared to fight a night battle

The same example can be used for lunar and solar cycles, more so lunar .
Moonstate will dictate effectiveness of night vision aids as all they simply do is amplify the AVAILABLE light, so biiger moon better night vision
If I have generation 1 nva's and a crescent moon (small) I could be very effective against an enemy with no nva's
A fuller moon not so much
If I have gen 4 and the enemy has gen 2 my NVA'S favour a darker night
Where as a lighter night differences are somewhat less

Hope this helps

That's rediculous - all you have to do is go outside and look for goodness sake. The phase of the moon doesn't change based on location. The phase changes based on time but not in a 24 hour period.

I suppose operationally, in planning phase of the moon can be very important (rising and setting in specific locations more so) but only in regards to near term operations and/or more general contingucy planning.

So I quess that would be the reason, now that I write it out. To protect (I don't know the word) plans and their optimal 'go' conditions - weather would be classified in this case as well. During and after, there is no reason the whole world can find out.

a reply to: darpa999

What is your evidence that it is classed as secret?

As others have said, the sunrise time could be used to figure out the location (or at least narrow it down: sunrise occurs at the same time all along the terminator of course).

But the phase of the moon is the same everywhere.

a reply to: Rob48

But the phase of the moon is the same everywhere.

The phase of the Moon would tell you what day of the month the operation is planned for, of course.

Guys this info was in every single combat mission briefing I've ever flown and was part of a briefing classified as secret or top secret. The reason it's classified is simple. Its part of a classified briefing. The data itself isn't classified, but when you add anything to a briefing, it becomes classified to the level of the most classified piece of info in the briefing, like the coordinates of the air refueling tracks over Iraq and Afghanistan. There's plenty of normal stuff like weather briefs in a classified briefing that aren't classified by themselves, but classified when added.