Lunar Phases

The Moon doesn’t shine on its own—it reflects light from the Sun. So, when the Moon orbits Earth, we see different parts of the lit side, which creates its phases.

The cycle begins with the New Moon phase when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. We can’t see the Moon because its lit side faces away from us.

As the Moon moves further around the Earth, a sliver of light appears. This is called the Waxing Crescent phase.

When half the Moon’s face is lit, it’s the First Quarter. As days pass by, the Moon keeps getting brighter!

During the Waxing Gibbous phase, more than half the Moon’s face shines.

Around 15 days after the New Moon, the entire lit side faces Earth, leading to the spectacular Full Moon.

After this, the Moon’s lit surface starts to shrink. The Waning Gibbous is followed by the Last Quarter, then the Waning Crescent, and finally, the cycle starts over with the New Moon.

These phases repeat in a 29.5-day cycle as the Moon orbits around Earth.