![]() Waning Crescent – occurs between the last quarter and the new moon only a crescent of the bright sideshows, on the left edge closest to the sun. The side that is bright is now opposite where it was during the first quarter since the moon is on the other side of Earth. Last (Third) Quarter – the moon is to the right of the earth and sun because the sun’s light only falls on the side of the moon facing it, there also appears to be a ‘half-moon’ in this phase. The moon is in the position opposite where it is during its waxing gibbous stage. Waning Gibbous – occurs after the full moon the right edge appears to be dark or invisible. Waxing Gibbous – the stage between the first quarter and full moon, when most of the bright side is visible.įull– the sun, earth, and moon are lined up, with the side of the moon facing the earth illuminated. Thus, it appears to be a ‘half-moon,’ half bright and half dark. The dark part of the moon is still what is most visible to Earth at this point.įirst Quarter – the moon is to the left of the earth and sun (moving counter-clockwise) the sun’s rays shine on the half of the moon facing it, half of which is visible to Earth. Waxing Crescent– the stage between the new moon and first quarter a sliver of brightness is visible on the right. To the earth on the other side of it, the moon appears to be very dark at this stage. There are eight main phases in the moon’s monthly cycle: New Moon– the sun, moon, and earth are lined up, with the sun’s light reflecting off the side of the moon facing it. If you have binoculars or a telescope, be sure to use them in your observation! During the month, what other changes do you notice? Does the moon always appear to have the same color and size? Your kids might enjoy keeping a journal with sketches and observations of each stage. A great way to teach your children about this is to observe the moon every few nights and discuss which phase it is in. ![]() Over the course of a month, you can observe all the different phases. How much of the moon we see depends on the phase it is in. ![]() Because of the orbit of the moon, we don’t always see the whole moon illuminated. Unlike the sun, the moon does not give off its own light instead, it reflects the sun’s light. ![]()
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