Lunar phases3/13/2023 ![]() This is the phase when half of the moon is illuminated and the percentage of the lit surface is still increasing. Waxing crescentĪs the moon's illuminated surface increases, it's in a stage known as waxing, and it's a crescent as long as it's less than half full. We can see the moon in this phase only during a solar eclipse. New moonĭuring this phase the moon is between Earth and the sun, which means none of the lunar half we see is illuminated, and the moon becomes nearly invisible in the night sky. In any given month we see eight distinct phases of the moon, defined by how much of the lunar disk is illuminated from our perspective and whether the moon is heading toward or away from being full. That means the same side of the moon always faces Earth, although both sides get illuminated as the moon orbits, so there is no perpetual dark side of the moon.Īs the moon, Earth, and the sun go through their orbital dance, the part of the moon that's illuminated by sunlight moves in and out of our view, creating a predictable series of lunar phases. In essence, it takes roughly the same amount of time for the moon to spin once on its axis as it takes for our celestial companion to complete an orbit around Earth. ![]() In addition, our view of the moon is governed by a gravitational quirk called tidal locking. This lunar cycle happens in part because the moon does not produce its own light the silvery glow we see comes from sunlight reflecting off the moon's monochrome surface. What is the moon made of, and how did it form? Learn about the moon's violent origins, how its phases shaped the earliest calendars, and how humans first explored Earth's only natural satellite half a century ago.
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