Phases of the Moon

The phases of the moon refer to the changing appearance of our celestial neighbor throughout its monthly cycle. This cycle has fascinated humans for millennia, inspiring myths, legends, and countless attempts to make werewolf movies, which we can all agree have been pretty hit or miss.

But what causes these phases, you ask? It’s simple, really. The moon orbits around the Earth, and as it does so, the amount of sunlight that hits its surface changes, creating the different phases we see from our vantage point down here on the ground.

The first phase is the new moon, which is not to be confused with the old moon, which is just a moon that’s been around for a while. During the new moon, the side of the moon facing the Earth is not illuminated by the sun at all, making it invisible to us. This is why you should never schedule any important meetings or dates during a new moon, because no one will show up.

After the new moon comes the waxing crescent, which is, as its name suggests, shaped like a crescent. This phase is popular among people who like to see things that are kind of there but not really. The waxing crescent gradually grows bigger each day until it becomes the first quarter, which is neither a coin nor a football game. During the first quarter, half of the moon is visible from Earth, like a giant, glowing hamburger.

Next comes the waxing gibbous, which sounds like a magical creature but is actually just another phase of the moon. During this phase, the moon continues to grow until it reaches the full moon, which is when it is completely illuminated by the sun and looks like a giant, glowing beach ball in the sky.

After the full moon, the moon begins to shrink down again during the waning gibbous phase, which is a time of sadness for moon lovers everywhere. Eventually, the moon becomes the third quarter, which is sort of like the first quarter, but in reverse. During this phase, half of the moon is visible from Earth, but it’s the other half than the first quarter.

Finally, we come to the waning crescent, which is like the waxing crescent, only backwards. This phase gradually shrinks down until it becomes the new moon once again, and the cycle starts all over again.

So there you have it, the phases of the moon explained in all their glory. We hope this has been an illuminating experience for you. Just remember, if you ever forget which phase is which, you can always just look up at the sky and say, “Wow, that’s a really big, glowing thing up there. I wonder what it’s called?”