Phases of the Moon

Front

What are the phases of the Moon?

Back

The phases of the Moon are the different appearances of the Moon as seen from Earth, caused by the changing positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun.

Front

What is the New Moon phase?

Back

The New Moon phase occurs when the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun, making it invisible from Earth.

Front

What is the Full Moon phase?

Back

The Full Moon phase occurs when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun, allowing the entire face of the Moon to be illuminated.

Front

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

Back

It takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to complete one full cycle of phases.

Front

What is a Waxing Crescent Moon?

Back

A Waxing Crescent Moon is the phase that occurs after the New Moon, where a small sliver of the Moon becomes visible, increasing in size.

Front

What is a First Quarter Moon?

Back

The First Quarter Moon occurs when half of the Moon is illuminated and visible from Earth, occurring about a week after the New Moon.

Front

What is a Waxing Gibbous Moon?

Back

A Waxing Gibbous Moon is the phase that occurs after the First Quarter, where more than half of the Moon is illuminated but not yet full.

Front

What is a Full Moon?

Back

A Full Moon is when the entire face of the Moon is illuminated, occurring approximately two weeks after the New Moon.

Front

What is a Waning Gibbous Moon?

Back

A Waning Gibbous Moon is the phase that occurs after a Full Moon, where the illumination is decreasing but more than half is still visible.

Front

What is a Third Quarter Moon?

Back

The Third Quarter Moon occurs when half of the Moon is illuminated again, but this time the left side is visible from Earth.