Moon Phases

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.

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.

A Full Moon is the phase of the moon when it is fully illuminated by the Sun and appears as a complete circle in the sky.

Waxing refers to the period when the visible portion of the moon is increasing, moving from New Moon to Full Moon.

Waning refers to the period when the visible portion of the moon is decreasing, moving from Full Moon to New Moon.

A First Quarter Moon is the phase when half of the moon is illuminated and appears as a half-circle, occurring about a week after the New Moon.

A Third Quarter Moon, also known as Last Quarter, is the phase when the opposite half of the moon is illuminated compared to the First Quarter, occurring about three weeks after the New Moon.

A Waxing Crescent Moon is the phase just after the New Moon when a small sliver of the moon becomes visible, increasing in size.

A Waning Crescent Moon is the phase just before the New Moon when a small sliver of the moon is visible, decreasing in size.

A Gibbous Moon is a phase when more than half of the moon is illuminated but it is not yet a Full Moon; it can be either Waxing Gibbous or Waning Gibbous.