Moon Phases

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What is a new moon?

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A new moon is the phase of the moon when it is not visible from Earth because it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun.

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What is a waxing crescent moon?

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

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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 and visible from Earth, occurring about a week 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 that occurs after the first quarter, where more than half of the moon is illuminated but it is not yet full.

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What is a full moon?

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A full moon is the phase when the entire face of the moon is illuminated and visible from Earth, occurring about two weeks after the new moon.

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What is a waning gibbous moon?

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A waning gibbous moon is the phase that occurs after a full moon, where the illumination is decreasing but more than half of the moon is still visible.

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What is a third quarter moon?

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A third quarter moon is the phase where half of the moon is illuminated again, but this time the opposite half compared to the first quarter.

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What is a waning crescent moon?

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A waning crescent moon is the phase that occurs after the third quarter, where a small sliver of the moon is visible and decreasing in size.

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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 changing positions of the moon, Earth, and Sun, which affect how much of the moon's surface is illuminated.

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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.