It’s just going through
a phase!
Source: NASA,
Apollo 11
If you look at the Moon each night,
you’ll notice its appearance changes.
If you watch closely, you’ll notice the
Moon changes in a regular pattern.
It gets larger, and then it gets smaller
and then larger again.
Why?
The Earth revolves around and the
Sun and the Moon revolves
around the Earth.
As the Moon revolves around the Earth,
different parts of the Moon are in
sunlight.
This causes the phases of the Moon.
There are eight major phases of the
Moon you should know.
New
Moon
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Waxing – The Moon appears to be
getting larger (right side in sunlight).
Waxing
Crescent
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
First Quarter
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Gibbous – Between half and full.
Waxing
Gibbous
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Full Moon
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Waning – The Moon appears to be
getting smaller (left side in sunlight).
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Waning
Gibbous
rd
Last/3
Quarter
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
Waning Crescent
Source of Moon Pictures: Goleta Air and Space Museum,
http://www.air-and-space.com/Moon20200408.htm
And the cycle begins all over again,
month after month after month.
Click here for video.
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
New Moon
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Waxing Crescent
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
First Quarter
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Waxing Gibbous
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Full Moon
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Waning Gibbous
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Last/3rd Quarter
Moon phases by the position of the
Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Waning Crescent