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