Moon Phase Eyes

The Moon goes through these phases in a cycle of about 29.5 days. The moon cycle begins with a New Moon, and then the moon waxes (gets larger) until it reaches its plenitude, Full Moon. Then it wanes (gets smaller) until it ends up at a New Moon again.

• New Moon: The Moon is not visible in the sky because the Sun's light doesn't illuminate its side facing Earth.

• Waxing Crescent: The Moon looks like a thin crescent in the western sky.

• First Quarter: The Moon is half illuminated, with the illuminated side facing Earth.

• Waxing Gibbous: The Moon appears more than half illuminated, with the floodlit side facing Earth.

• Full Moon: The Moon is fully well-lit; and appears as a perfect circle in the night sky.

• Waning Gibbous: The Moon appears less than half illuminated, with the illuminated side facing Earth.

• Last Quarter: The Moon is half illuminated, with the well-lit side facing away from Earth.

• Waning Crescent: The Moon appears as a thin crescent in the eastern sky before sunrise.

The Moon goes through these phases in a cycle of about 29.5 days. The moon cycle begins with a New Moon, and then the moon waxes (gets larger) until it reaches its plenitude, Full Moon. Then it wanes (gets smaller) until it ends up at a New Moon again.

The names of the moon phases come from the Latin words for "new" (Novus), "first" (primus), "full" (Plenus), and "last" (Ultimus). The intermediate phases got their names after their aspect, such as "waxing crescent" and "waning gibbous."