MOON PHASES IN ORDER FULL
Another cool thing that occasionally happens during a full moon is when the moon passes through our Earth’s shadow, called a lunar eclipse. When the moon is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit it is called a supermoon, and at its farthest point, it is called a micro-moon. Technically the moon is only 100% illuminated by the sun for a few moments, but this phase also covers when the moon looks full but isn’t. Full moons occur when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of Earth. Full MoonĪs you probably already know, a full moon is when the entire moon face is completely illuminated by the sun. The moon will get more and more illuminated until the moon is fully illuminated, which starts the next phase. Waxing means growing larger, and the word gibbous refers to the shape, so waxing gibbous essentially means “growing shape”. the words waxing gibbous describe what the phase is pretty well. This phase essentially covers the time between the first quarter phase and the full moon phase. So, some people may see the right half illuminated, while others might see the left half illuminated. Not everyone will see the same halves of the moon lit up during this phase, primarily because it depends on your location. The name “first quarter” comes from the fact that at this stage the lunar cycle is 1/4 of the way completed. During this phase happens when you can see half of the moon that is illuminated. The next phase of the lunar cycle is the first quarter. This phase occurs a few days after a new moon.
There are times when you might be able to see the rest of the moon as well, even if it is dark because of a phenomenon called “earthshine” in which the Earth reflects sunlight to the moon. The waxing crescent phase of the moon begins once we can see a tiny sliver of the moon after a new moon. Waxing Crescentĭuring the Waxing Crescent phase, the moon travels east in the sky. New moons can create a solar eclipse where the moon blocks the sun’s rays and creates a shadow on parts of the Earth. We typically cannot see a new moon since the dark side of the moon is facing the Earth. A new moon happens when the moon is located between the sun and the Earth. This is the beginning portion of the moon’s phases.
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