Phenomenal Moon Phases
Have you ever looked up in the sky on different nights throughout a month and noticed the moon has a different shape each time? The moon itself doesn’t change form. It’s actually our view of the moon that causes us to see a different shape.
The Mini Page learns about the phases of the moon this week.
Light
Our solar system has one source of light: the sun. The moon doesn’t have any light of its own. The side of the moon that faces the sun reflects the sun’s brightness, which is what we are able to see.
The moon’s orbit, or the curved path it takes around the Earth, is what helps us see a different view of the moon each night. The part of the moon that is brightly lit is the part of the moon that we see changing.
During the moon’s journey, we’ll see eight moon phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent. Moon phases
NASA gives helpful explanations of the eight moon phases and what we can expect to see during each one.
New: If the moon is in the new phase, we cannot see it from Earth because the side of the moon that is lit up is facing away from us.
Waxing Crescent: People in the Northern Hemisphere, or top half of the planet, view the waxing crescent phase of the moon as a sliver of light on the right side.
First Quarter: The first quarter phase appears as a half moon.
Waxing Gibbous: The waxing gibbous moon phase is between a half moon and full moon. Waxing means it is getting bigger.
Full: The side of the moon facing Earth is completely illuminated, or covered in light.
Waning Gibbous: The waning gibbous phase is between a full moon and a half moon. Waning means it is getting smaller.
Third Quarter: The third quarter moon also appears as a half moon, but it is the opposite half from the first quarter moon.
Waning Crescent: People in the Northern Hemisphere see the waning crescent phase as a sliver of light on the left side.