Moon Phases

The Moon goes through a cycle of distinct phases as it orbits the Earth, creating the appearance of different shapes and amounts of illumination. These phases are a result of the changing positions of the Moon, Earth, and the Sun. There are eight primary phases of the Moon:

New Moon: During this phase, the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun. The side of the Moon illuminated by the Sun is facing away from Earth, making the Moon appear completely dark from our perspective.

Waxing Crescent: As the Moon starts moving away from the Sun, a small portion of its illuminated side becomes visible from Earth. This thin crescent of light gradually grows over the following days.

First Quarter (Waxing Quarter): When half of the Moon's visible side is illuminated, it's known as the first quarter. The Moon appears as a half-circle shape during this phase.

Waxing Gibbous: The illuminated portion of the Moon continues to increase, making the Moon appear more than half full but not completely illuminated.

Full Moon: At this point, the Earth is positioned between the Moon and the Sun, causing the entire illuminated side of the Moon to face us. The Moon appears as a complete circle of light during a full moon.

Waning Gibbous: Following the full moon, the illuminated portion gradually decreases, creating a shape that is more than half full but not completely illuminated.

Last Quarter (Waning Quarter): Similar to the first quarter, during the last quarter, half of the Moon's visible side is illuminated, but it appears as a different half-circle shape than during the first quarter.

Waning Crescent: As the Moon continues its orbit, only a small crescent of light remains visible, and this crescent diminishes over the course of a few days.

The entire cycle of phases takes about 29.5 days to complete, which is roughly the same amount of time it takes the Moon to complete one orbit around the Earth. It's important to note that the specific appearance and timing of the Moon's phases can vary depending on your location on Earth and the angle between the Moon, Earth, and Sun.