Moon Phases

Front

What is a Full Moon?

Back

A Full Moon is the phase of the moon when it is fully illuminated as seen from Earth, occurring when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a First Quarter Moon?

Back

A First Quarter Moon is the phase of the moon where half of the moon is illuminated and visible from Earth, occurring about a week after the New Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a Waxing Gibbous Moon?

Back

A Waxing Gibbous Moon is the phase that occurs after the First Quarter and before the Full Moon, where more than half of the moon is illuminated.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a Waning Gibbous Moon?

Back

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a New Moon?

Back

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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a Last Quarter Moon?

Back

A Last Quarter Moon is the phase where half of the moon is illuminated and visible from Earth, occurring about a week after the Full Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a Waxing Crescent Moon?

Back

A Waxing Crescent Moon is the phase that occurs after the New Moon and before the First Quarter, where a small sliver of the moon is illuminated.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is a Waning Crescent Moon?

Back

A Waning Crescent Moon is the phase that occurs after the Last Quarter and before the New Moon, where a small sliver of the moon is still visible.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

How many main phases does the moon have?

Back

The moon has eight main phases: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Front

What is the difference between waxing and waning?

Back

Waxing refers to the moon phases where the illuminated part is increasing, while waning refers to the phases where the illuminated part is decreasing.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1