Moon Phases

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What is a full moon?

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A full moon is the lunar phase when the entire face of the moon is illuminated by the sun, making it appear round and bright in the night sky.

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What is a new moon?

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A new moon is the lunar phase when the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun, making it invisible from Earth.

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What is a waxing crescent moon?

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A waxing crescent moon is the phase after a new moon, where a small sliver of the moon becomes visible, gradually increasing in size.

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What is a waning crescent moon?

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A waning crescent moon is the phase before a new moon, where the visible portion of the moon is decreasing, appearing as a small sliver.

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What is a first quarter moon?

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A first quarter moon is the phase where half of the moon is illuminated, occurring about a week after the new moon.

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What is a third quarter moon?

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A third quarter moon is the phase where the opposite half of the moon is illuminated compared to the first quarter, occurring about three weeks after the new moon.

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What is a waxing gibbous moon?

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A waxing gibbous moon is the phase after the first quarter, where more than half of the moon is illuminated and is increasing towards a full moon.

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What is a waning gibbous moon?

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A waning gibbous moon is the phase after a full moon, where the illuminated portion is decreasing but still more than half.

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How long does it take for the moon to complete one full cycle of phases?

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It takes about 29.5 days for the moon to complete one full cycle of phases, known as a lunar month.

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What causes the different phases of the moon?

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The different phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the Earth, moon, and sun, affecting how much of the moon's surface is illuminated.