The moon phases and what causes them
New moon-The side of the moon facing the earth is not lit up. That is why we can't see the moon in this phase.
Waxing cresent- We say that the Moon is "waxing" because each night a little bit more is visible for a little bit
longer.
First quarter- During first quarter, 1/2 of the moon is visible for the first half of the evening, and then goes down,leaving the sky very dark.
Waxing gibbous- When most of the Moon is visible we say it is a Gibbous Moon. Observers can see all but a little sliver of the moon. During this phase, the Moon remains in the sky most of the night.
Full moon- When there is a full moon we see all of the lighted moon and it stays up in the night sky for the whole night almost.
Waning gibbous- Like the Waxing Gibbous Moon, during this phase, we can see all but a sliver of the Moon. The difference is that instead of seeing more of the Moon each night, we begin to see less and less of the Moon each night.
Last quarter- During this phase we can see exactly half the lighted moon in the night sky. It does not stay al night.
Waning cresent- Finally, during a Waning Crescent Moon, observers on Earth can only see a small sliver of the Moon, and only just before morning. Each night less of the Moon is visible for less time.
Waxing cresent- We say that the Moon is "waxing" because each night a little bit more is visible for a little bit
longer.
First quarter- During first quarter, 1/2 of the moon is visible for the first half of the evening, and then goes down,leaving the sky very dark.
Waxing gibbous- When most of the Moon is visible we say it is a Gibbous Moon. Observers can see all but a little sliver of the moon. During this phase, the Moon remains in the sky most of the night.
Full moon- When there is a full moon we see all of the lighted moon and it stays up in the night sky for the whole night almost.
Waning gibbous- Like the Waxing Gibbous Moon, during this phase, we can see all but a sliver of the Moon. The difference is that instead of seeing more of the Moon each night, we begin to see less and less of the Moon each night.
Last quarter- During this phase we can see exactly half the lighted moon in the night sky. It does not stay al night.
Waning cresent- Finally, during a Waning Crescent Moon, observers on Earth can only see a small sliver of the Moon, and only just before morning. Each night less of the Moon is visible for less time.