Phases of the Moon
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What you will learn
- 1Name the eight phases of the Moon in correct sequence
- 2Explain why the Moon appears to change shape from Earth
Mini Lesson
The Moon does not produce its own light — it reflects sunlight. As the Moon travels around Earth each month, we see different portions of its lit side. This creates the changing shapes we call the phases of the Moon. The full cycle takes about 29.5 days.
The Eight Moon Phases in Order
- New Moon — the lit side faces away from Earth; the Moon is invisible in the sky.
- Waxing Crescent — a thin sliver of light becomes visible on the right side.
- First Quarter — the right half of the Moon is lit; the Moon looks like a "D".
- Waxing Gibbous — more than half of the Moon is lit and still growing.
- Full Moon — the entire lit side faces Earth; the Moon appears as a full circle.
- Waning Gibbous — the lit portion begins to shrink from the right side.
- Third Quarter — the left half is lit; the Moon looks like a reverse "D".
- Waning Crescent — only a thin sliver on the left remains visible before New Moon.
Words to know
Waxing
Getting larger — the lit portion of the Moon is growing.
Waning
Getting smaller — the lit portion of the Moon is shrinking.
Phase
One of the regular stages in the Moon's monthly cycle of appearance.
Memory trick: "Waxing" means the lit part of the Moon is getting bigger. "Waning" means the lit part is getting smaller. After Full Moon, the cycle heads back to New Moon.
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