Phases of the Moon facts for kids

Diagram of the Moon's phases: The Earth is at the center of the diagram and the Moon is shown orbiting (dashed circle). The Sun lights half of the Moon and Earth from the right side. The phase of the Moon is shown next to the corresponding position of the Moon in its orbit around Earth. The phase shows what is seen in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth.

The phases of the Moon are the different ways the Moon looks from Earth over the time of about a month. The Moon does not change shape. It just looks like it does because a different amount of the Sun reflects off it each day. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the part of the Moon that faces the Sun will be lit up. When the Moon looks like it is getting larger, it is called waxing. When the Moon looks like it is getting smaller, it is called waning. Each phase repeats itself every 29.5 days.

The same half of the Moon always faces the Earth because of tidal locking. The phases we see always happen on the same half of the Moon's surface.

Phases

Animation of the moon phases

The moon goes through 8 major phases.

• A new moon is when the Moon cannot be seen because we are looking at the unlit half of the Moon. The new moon phase happens when the Moon is directly between the Earth and Sun. A solar eclipse can only happen at the new moon.
• A waxing crescent moon is when the Moon looks like a crescent and the crescent increases ("waxes") in size from one day to the next. This phase is usually only seen in the west.
• The first quarter moon (or a half moon) is when half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible after the waxing crescent phase. It comes a week after the new moon.
• A waxing gibbous moon is when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be seen and the shape increases ("waxes") in size from one day to the next. The waxing gibbous phase happens between the first quarter and full moon phases.
• A Full Moon is when we can see the entire half of the Moon. The full moon phase happens when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, called opposition. A lunar eclipse can only happen at a full moon.
• A waning gibbous moon is when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be seen and the shape decreases ("wanes") in size from one day to the next. The waning gibbous phase happens between the full moon and third quarter phases.
• The last quarter moon (or a half moon) is when half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible after the waning gibbous phase.
• A waning crescent moon is when the Moon looks like a crescent and the crescent decreases ("wanes") in size from one day to the next. This is the end of the phases. After the waning crescent moon, the phases begin again.

"Blue moon"

• A second full moon in one calendar month is usually called a "blue moon" and this happens approximately every 3 years. The idiom "Once in a blue moon" refers to something that does not happen often (like a blue moon).

Super Pink Moon

A supermoon or Super Pink Moon occurs when the Moon's orbit is closest to the Earth. Supermoons take place each year between March and May. Because the Moon is extremely close to Earth, the full moon appears up to 7% larger and 15% brighter than a regular full moon. Traditionally, any full moon that happened in April was called a pink moon because it marked the blooming of moss pink, a wildflower.

Interesting facts about the phases of the moon

• The Moon is the earth's only permanent natural satellite.
• The Moon's surface is dark. The parts we see from Earth are light reflected from the Sun.
• The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun and 400 times closer to Earth.
• The Moon causes the tides in the ocean.
• Gravity on the Moon is much weaker than gravity on the Earth.
• A lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and a shadow is cast on the Moon.
• A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and a shadow is cast on the Earth’s surface.
• From the Moon, the Earth appears to go through phases as well. They are opposite the Moon's phases: it is a full Earth when it is a new moon for us.

Related pages

• Extraterrestrial sky
• Phases of the Earth

Images for kids

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  A full Moon sets behind San Gorgonio Mountain in California on a midsummer's morning.

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  Animation showing the progression of the moon phase.

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  The phases of the Moon as viewed looking southward from the Northern Hemisphere. Each phase would be rotated 180° if seen looking northward from the Southern Hemisphere. The upper part of the diagram is not to scale, as the Moon is much farther from Earth than shown here.

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  An overexposed photograph of a crescent Moon reveals earthshine and stars.

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  May–June 2005 calendar of lunar phases

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  A crescent Moon over Kingman, Arizona

See also

In Spanish: Fase lunar para niños