1. Moon Memory
Tricks

2. First Quarter
Waxing
Gibbous
Waxing
Crescent
Full Moon
New Moon
Waning
Crescent
Waning
Gibbous
Last Quarter

3. a counterclockwise direction. The moon’s light is always increasing
The moon must travel in
a counterclockwise direction.
The moon’s light is always increasing
as it moves away from the sun.

4. From the new moon to the full moon the moon gets brighter each day

5. Waxing " Wax " on The waxing moon is getting brighter and
brighter every day

6. The moon’s light is always decreasing as it moves toward the sun.

7. From the full moon to the new moon, the moon gets dimmer each day

8. " Wane " off Waning A waning moon is getting dimmer and dimmer
every day.
" Wane "
off
Waning

9. Waxing Gibbous Waning Gibbous To remember that the
Gibbous moon is more
Than ½ the side of the moon
Waxing
Gibbous
Waning
Gibbous
THINK:
“Gibb ous MORE” !!

10. To determine if the moon is waxing or waning, draw a stick
beginning at the bottom of the phase you see in the sky upward.
The letter will be made with the lit side of the Moon.

11. N S When the moon makes a “smile”, and you can’t tell where to draw
the stick to make a “b” or “d”, find
North or South. Start you stick in
the South and extend it into infinity
and see which letter you made.
N S

12. In this case, the lines make a letter
“d” showing that the moon is on the
Decrease or waning.
N S
"d" = decrease !

13. Near = New
Far = Full

14. Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Lunar cycle is 29.5 days

15. Each moon phase last about 3.5 days 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Each moon phase
last about 3.5 days

16. Dark side (far side) of the Moon
The moon revolves around the Earth and rotates on its axis at the same rate, so only nearside of the moon is permanently facing the Earth.
The nearside of the moon is what is illuminated during a full moon.