Phases of the Moon
In the darkness of night, the moon shines bright.
What does the moon look like tonight?
Did you know the moon has eight different names? How many names do you have?
What does the moon look like tonight?
Did you know the moon has eight different names? How many names do you have?
Half of the moon is always lit by the sun, the other half stays in darkness. As the moon orbits the earth we see changes in the moons illumination, called phases. Changes in the moon's appearance are due to the positions of the moon and the sun in relation to (with) the earth. The phases are not caused by the earth’s shadow; rather it is our perspective and the angle at which we see the moon’s illuminated side. At certain times we see a combination of the moon’s shadowed side as well as the sunlit portion, creating some of the phases we recognize in the night sky.
Eight phases occur each lunar month - every 29.5 days as the moon makes its revolution around the earth. We don't see the new moon because its illuminated side faces away from the earth. The full moon and the two half moons are easy to identify in the night sky. The four phases between them - gibbous, crescent, waxing and waning - add further distinction to the lunar profile. When the earth casts it shadow on the moon, we experience a lunar eclipse.
Eight phases occur each lunar month - every 29.5 days as the moon makes its revolution around the earth. We don't see the new moon because its illuminated side faces away from the earth. The full moon and the two half moons are easy to identify in the night sky. The four phases between them - gibbous, crescent, waxing and waning - add further distinction to the lunar profile. When the earth casts it shadow on the moon, we experience a lunar eclipse.