Moon phases

  Moon phases

The phases of the moon refer to the different appearances of the moon as it orbits the Earth. The moon goes through a complete cycle of phases approximately every 29.5 days, which is known as a lunar month. The phases of the moon are as follows:

1. New Moon: This is when the moon is completely dark and cannot be seen from Earth because it is between the sun and the Earth.

2. Waxing Crescent: This is the phase when the moon is starting to grow again and is visible as a thin crescent shape on the right side.

3. First Quarter: This is when the moon is half illuminated and appears as a half-moon shape in the sky.

4. Waxing Gibbous: This is when the moon is more than half illuminated but not yet a full moon.

5. Full Moon: This is when the entire face of the moon is illuminated and visible from Earth.

6. Waning Gibbous: This is when the moon is starting to shrink and become less illuminated after the full moon.

7. Last Quarter: This is when the moon is half illuminated again, but this time on the left side.

8. Waning Crescent: This is the phase when the moon is almost completely dark again and appears as a thin crescent shape on the left side.

After the waning crescent phase, the cycle starts again with the new moon.