By: Keaton Linford

 The moon phases start with the New Moon.  The side of the moon that is facing us is not illuminated.  A New Moon takes place when it’s positioned between the earth and the sun (as seen in the picture below).

 The second phase of the moon is called waxing crescent.  When you see the moon in this phase only about 15% is illuminated.  This happens because the sunlight is increasing but it’s not halfway at this point (as seen in picture below).

 The third phase of the moon is a first quarter moon.  When you look at a first quarter moon you see the right side illuminated (50% of the moon).  This phase of the moon occurs because it is at a 90 degree angle.

 The fourth phase of the moon is called waxing gibbous.  When you see this phase of the moon you see about 85% of the moon illuminated.  The reason why this phase is called the waxing gibbous is because more than 50% of the moon is illuminated.

 The fifth phase of the moon is called the full moon.  The reason it is called a full moon is because the whole moon is illuminated by the sun.  This occurs when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in approximate alignment.

 The sixth phase of the moon is called the waning gibbous.  This phase occurs when about 85% of the moon is illuminated after the full moon.  The reason this phase occurs is because the light continuously decreases after a full moon.

 The seventh phase of the moon is called a third quarter moon.  The third quarter moon is the opposite of a first quarter moon (the left is illuminated not the right).  This phase occurs when the moon is at a 90 degree angle.

 The eighth and final phase of the moon is called a waning crescent.  The reason it is called a waning crescent is that it leads you back to a new moon.  It occurs when the new moon is almost here.