Moon phases calendar

It’s Just a Phase

In our entire solar system, the only object that shines with its own light is the Sun. That light always beams onto Earth and Moon from the direction of the Sun, illuminating half of our planet in its orbit and reflecting off the surface of the Moon to create moonlight.

Sometimes the entire face of the Moon glows brightly.

New moon this month

Other times we see only a thin crescent of light. Sometimes the Moon seems to disappear. These shifts are called moon phases.

The eight lunar phases are, in order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.

The cycle repeats once a month (every 29.5 days).

Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates. The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon while the other half remains dark, but how much we are able to see of that illuminated half changes as the Moon travels through its orbit.

Let’s take a look at the individual phases, and how the movements of the Moon and Sun appear to us as we wa

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