Phases of the moon and eclipses

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What is a solar eclipse?

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A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun's light.

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What is a lunar eclipse?

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A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, causing the Earth's shadow to cover the moon.

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What are the phases of the moon?

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The phases of the moon are the different shapes the moon appears to take as it orbits the Earth, including new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.

Front

What is the full moon phase?

Back

The full moon phase is when the entire face of the moon is illuminated by the sun, making it appear round and bright.

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What is the new moon phase?

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The new moon phase occurs when the moon is between the Earth and the sun, and its illuminated side is facing away from the Earth, making it invisible.

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What is a waxing crescent moon?

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A waxing crescent moon is the phase after the new moon, where a small sliver of the moon becomes visible and grows larger.

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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 visible portion of the moon is decreasing but still more than half.

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What is the lunar cycle?

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The lunar cycle refers to the sequence of phases the moon goes through in about 29.5 days.

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What is the composition of the moon?

Back

The moon is mostly made of rock.

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What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

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A solar eclipse occurs during the day when the moon blocks the sun, while a lunar eclipse occurs at night when the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.