Science Common Sense

75 - What are the phases of the moon?

The phases of the moon are like different faces the moon shows us as it orbits around the Earth. There are 8 main phases:

  1. New Moon (we can't see the moon)
  2. Waxing Crescent (a small sliver of light appears on the right side)
  3. First Quarter (the moon looks like a half circle, with the right side lit)
  4. Waxing Gibbous (the moon is getting fuller and fuller)
  5. Full Moon (the whole moon is visible and bright)
  6. Waning Gibbous (the moon starts to look smaller again)
  7. Last Quarter (the moon looks like a half circle, with the left side lit)
  8. Waning Crescent (a small sliver of light appears on the left side)

These phases happen over about a month as the moon moves around the Earth.

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