• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Space / What Causes the Phases Of the Moon and What Are the Different Phases Of the Moon Called?

What Causes the Phases Of the Moon and What Are the Different Phases Of the Moon Called?

July 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Moon reflects the light the Sun shines on it.

The apparent changes in its shape, from full to gibbous to half to crescent to new, does not mean the Moon is actually getting smaller or larger.

The Moon appears to wane (grow smaller) and wax (grow larger) because, as it rotates around Earth, we can only see those sections that receive sunlight.

Remember that we can only see one side of the Moon from Earth.

The far side of the Moon is always hidden from us. When the Moon’s orbit places it between Earth and the Sun, the Sun is shining only on the side we can’t see, so we experience a new moon.

Halfway through its orbit, the Moon is on the other side of Earth from the Sun, and we see a full moon.

In between the new and full moons, we see a waxing or new crescent, then a half moon called the first quarter (14 days after new and full moons), then a waxing or new gibbous until the full moon.

After a full moon, we see a waning or old crescent, half moon (also called last quarter) and an old or waxing gibbous leading to the full moon.

We see phases of the Moon because as the Moon orbits Earth, its shadow is thrown onto the surface of the planet.

The inner ring of moons shows what the Moon looks like from Earth.

If you’re still confused, here is a list of the 8 phases of the Moon.

  • New moon
  • Waxing crescent moon
  • First quarter moon
  • Waxing gibbous moon
  • Full moon
  • Waning gibbous moon
  • Last quarter moon
  • Waning crescent moon
  • Dark moon

Related Facts

  • What Are the Phases of the Planet Mercury and Why Do Inferior Planets Have Phases Like the Moon?
  • Why Do the Phases of the Moon Take Longer Than One Moon Orbit and How Often Does the Moon Orbit the Earth?
  • Why Are There So Many Different Types of Rain From Heavy To Light and What Causes Different Raindrop Sizes?
  • How Many Different Types of Orbital Patterns Do Planets Have and What Are the Different Orbits Called?
  • How Is Latitude and Longitude Different On the Moon and Does the Moon Have an Equator Like Earth?
  • How Strong Is the Pull of the Moon's Gravity and How Different Is the Moon's Gravity Compared To Earth?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Do the Phases of the Moon Take Longer Than One Moon Orbit and How Often Does the Moon Orbit the Earth?
Next Post: Who Is the Man In the Moon and What Is the Best Way To See the Man In the Moon At Home With a Flashlight? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy