What Are The Four Main Phases Of The Moon Called?

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered why the moon looks different every night? This changing appearance is known as the phases of the moon, which occur as the moon orbits around the Earth. The phases of the moon are caused by the interaction between the Sun, Earth, and Moon.

The moon’s phases can be divided into four main stages or phases. These phases are called:

New Moon

The New Moon is the first phase of the moon. During this time, the moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, which means the side of the moon facing Earth is not illuminated. The New Moon appears as a black circle in the sky and is not visible to the naked eye.

First Quarter

The First Quarter is the second phase of the moon. This phase occurs approximately one week after the New Moon when the moon is one-quarter of the way through its orbit. During this phase, half of the moon is illuminated, and the other half is in shadow. This phase is called the First Quarter because the moon has completed one-quarter of its monthly journey.

Full Moon

The Full Moon is the third phase of the moon. During this phase, the moon is directly opposite the Sun, and its entire illuminated side is facing Earth. This phase occurs approximately two weeks after the New Moon, and the moon appears as a bright, round circle in the sky.

Last Quarter

The Last Quarter is the fourth and final phase of the moon. This phase occurs approximately three weeks after the New Moon when the moon has completed three-quarters of its orbit around the Earth. During this phase, half of the moon is in shadow, and the other half is illuminated. The term “Last Quarter” means that the moon has one-quarter of its journey left to complete before returning to the New Moon phase.

In conclusion, the four main phases of the moon are the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. Each phase has its unique appearance and meaning, and understanding these phases can help us appreciate the beauty of the lunar cycle.

What Are The Four Main Phases of the Moon Called?

When we gaze up into the night sky, one of the most fascinating sights is the moon. Watching its phases change, sometimes dramatically, can be mesmerizing. But what are the four main phases of the moon called, and what causes them? In this post, we will answer these questions and more.

What Causes The Phases of the Moon?

The moon orbits around the Earth, while the Earth orbits around the sun. The light from the sun illuminates the moon, but as the moon moves around the Earth, the percentage of the illuminated part we see changes.

This is what causes the phases of the moon. Depending on where the moon is in its orbit and where it is in relation to the Earth and the sun, we see different amounts of the illuminated part.

What Are The Names of The Four Main Phases of The Moon?

There are four main phases of the moon that people often refer to.

New Moon

The new moon is the first phase of the moon. During this phase, the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun, which means that the side facing the Earth is not illuminated. As a result, we cannot see the moon in the night sky during this phase.

Waxing Moon

The waxing moon is the second phase of the moon. During this phase, the part of the moon visible to Earth starts to increase. As the moon moves around the Earth, increasing amounts of the illuminated part become visible.

Full Moon

The full moon is the third phase of the moon. During this phase, the side of the moon that faces the Earth is fully illuminated by the sun. This is why the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky during this phase.

Waning Moon

The waning moon is the fourth and final phase of the moon. During this phase, the part of the moon visible to Earth starts to decrease. As the moon moves around the Earth, decreasing amounts of the illuminated part become visible.

What Are The Phases Between These Four Main Phases of the Moon?

There are a few phases of the moon that are considered as transitional between the four main phases we have already discussed.

New Crescent Moon

This phase occurs after the new moon and before the waxing moon. During this phase, only a small part of the moon is visible, which creates a crescent shape in the sky.

First Quarter Moon

This phase occurs after the waxing moon and before the full moon. During this phase, half of the moon is visible to Earth, and it appears as a semi-circle.

Last Quarter Moon

This phase occurs after the full moon and before the waning moon. During this phase, half of the moon is visible to Earth, and it appears as a semi-circle.

Waning Crescent Moon

This phase occurs after the waning moon and before the new moon. During this phase, only a small part of the moon is visible, which creates a crescent shape in the sky.

What Are The Four Main Phases Of The Moon Called?

The moon is a satellite of the Earth and is the only natural satellite in the solar system. It takes 27.3 days for the moon to orbit around the Earth. As the moon orbits the Earth, different parts of the moon are illuminated by the sun, which causes the appearance of different phases of the moon. The changing phases of the moon have been observed and studied by humans for thousands of years, and they have been given various names. In this blog post, we will discuss the four main phases of the moon and their names.

1. New Moon

The new moon is the first phase of the moon. At this phase, the moon is not visible from the Earth because it is located between the Earth and the sun, with the side of the moon that faces the Earth being completely shadowed. This means that the moon reflects no direct sunlight to the Earth. The new moon marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle, and it occurs roughly every 29.5 days.

2. Waxing Crescent

The waxing crescent is the second phase of the moon. At this phase, a small sliver of the moon is visible from the Earth, with the rest of the moon being in darkness. The crescent moon appears to be growing larger each night as more of the sunlit side becomes visible. This phase begins one to two days after the new moon.

3. First Quarter

The first quarter is the third phase of the moon. At this phase, half of the moon is visible from the Earth, with the sunlit side on the right and the dark side on the left. This phase is also known as the half-moon. The first quarter moon occurs about seven days after the new moon.

4. Waxing Gibbous

The waxing gibbous is the fourth phase of the moon. At this phase, most of the moon is visible from the Earth, with only a small part of the moon still in darkness. The gibbous moon appears to be growing larger each night as more of the sunlit side becomes visible. This phase occurs about ten to twelve days after the new moon.

Conclusion

The four main phases of the moon are the new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, and waxing gibbous. Each of these phases has its own unique characteristics and they occur in a regular cycle every 29.5 days. Understanding the phases of the moon can help us to appreciate the beauty of the natural world and can also be useful for a variety of practical purposes, such as planning outdoor activities and predicting tides. Thank you for reading, and we hope you learned something new about the moon!