Moon Phases

Front

What is the New Moon phase?

Back

The New Moon phase is when the moon is 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 Sun and the Moon, allowing the entire face of the moon to be illuminated.

Front

What does it mean for the moon to revolve around the Earth?

Back

To revolve means that the moon orbits the Earth in a circular path, taking about 27.3 days to complete one full orbit.

Front

What is a First Quarter Moon?

Back

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

Front

What is a Last Quarter Moon?

Back

The Last Quarter Moon is when the opposite half of the moon is illuminated compared to the First Quarter, also known as the Third Quarter.

Front

What is a waxing crescent moon?

Back

A waxing crescent moon is the phase after the New Moon, where a small sliver of the moon begins to be illuminated.

Front

What is a waning gibbous moon?

Back

A waning gibbous moon is the phase after a Full Moon, where more than half of the moon is still illuminated but decreasing.

Front

How much of the moon is always lit?

Back

Half of the moon is always lit by the Sun, but we only see a portion of it from Earth depending on the moon's phase.

Front

What is the difference between waxing and waning?

Back

Waxing means the moon is getting larger (from New Moon to Full Moon), while waning means it is getting smaller (from Full Moon to New Moon).

Front

What is a crescent moon?

Back

A crescent moon is a phase where less than half of the moon is illuminated, appearing as a thin sliver.