![]() Description: the left side is illuminated.The moon is at a right angle with respect to the Sun from Earth. It depicts the Moon when it is more than half illuminated, but not completely.Īt the beginning of this stage in the Northern Hemisphere, we see a nearly fully illuminated disk, except for a small sliver on the right side that remains in darkness. The waxing gibbous moon phase takes place between the full moon and the last quarter. Description: halfway between a half-moon and a full moon (left side is illuminated).Percentage of Illumination: 100 to 50 percent.If the full Moon’s position aligns correctly with the Sun and Earth, it can pass through the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a lunar eclipse.Ī full moon captured using a Mirrorless camera and telescope. The Sun and Moon are in opposition, positioned on opposite sides of the Earth. Description: the entire moon is illuminatedĭuring a “full moon”, the entire disk of the moon appears to be illuminated from our vantage point on Earth.Percentage of Illumination: 100 percent.The moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, the illuminated side faces Earth. The word “gibbous” is a Latin word that refers to a shape that is convex or bulging outward on one side, resembling a hump or a rounded curve. It is characterized by the Moon being more than half illuminated, but not yet fully. The waxing gibbous moon phase occurs between the first quarter and full moon phases. Description: halfway between a half-moon and a full moon (right side is illuminated).Percentage of Illumination: 50 to 100 percent.Some people refer to the first and last quarter moon phases as ‘Half Moon’. However, from our perspective, half of the moon’s surface is illuminated (not a quarter). It is named this because, at this point, the moon has completed approximately one-quarter of its orbit around the Earth. The first-quarter moon phase can be a bit confusing to beginners. Description: the right side is illuminated.Moon is at a right angle with respect to the Sun from Earth. This phase showcases a beautiful crescent-shaped moon, appearing on the right side (in the Northern Hemisphere).Īs each day passes, the illuminated area on the moon gradually widens, covering more of the moon’s surface until the first quarter phase. The waxing crescent moon phase occurs between the new moon and the first quarter phases. Description: a thin crescent of light on the rightĪ waxing crescent moon with Earthshine visible.Percentage of Illumination: Zero to 50 percent.This is the best time to observe and photograph deep-sky objects. During this phase, the Sun and moon are in conjunction and are aligned on the same side of the Earth.ĭuring the new moon phase, the moon appears completely dark as we are facing its shadowed side, which is not illuminated by direct sunlight. It is called a “new moon” because it marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle. Percentage of Illumination: Zero percent.The moon is between Earth and the Sun, the moon shadow faces Earth. wanes).Īs mentioned above, the moon cycles through eight phases. The phases will then reverse where the visible area decreases (i.e. As the moon continues to orbit Earth, the visible area grows (i.e. This means our view of the illuminated portion of the moon changes as the moon orbits around Earth, working its way through the different moon phases.įor example, in the new moon phase, the moon is a complete shadow. The moon phase we see from Earth is the portion of the moon that is lit up by the Sun, which can range from zero percent illuminated (new moon) to 100 percent illuminated (full moon).Ĭhanges in moon phases as the Moon orbits Earth based on sunlight | McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Centre What causes the Moon Phases?Īs mentioned above, the moon goes through a cycle of phases each month as it orbits Earth and each phase is dependent on the moon’s position in relation to the Sun. The near side of the Moon as seen from Earth. The amount of near side that is seen, depends on the amount of available sunlight. This orbit has been affected by the Earth’s gravitational pull which has helped to slow the moon’s orbit causing the moon and Earth to be synchronized.ĭue to this synchronization, we only ever see the ‘near side’ of the moon from Earth, which is only half of the lunar total surface. It takes the moon the same amount of time to orbit the Earth as it does to complete a full rotation on its axis (i.e. ![]() ![]() ![]() It may help to know a little about the moon’s orbit to understand what is happening during each of the moon phases. This widget was provided by, a website that includes many astronomy tools including a night sky guide and an interactive planetarium. You can also use the following tool to see the current moon phase for today’s date. This will tell you the current moon cycle for today’s date. You can also use Today’s Moon Phase from Moon Giant. ![]()
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