1. Phases of the moon by Conan Amituanai

2. 8 Key Stages
There are 8 key stages of the moon that appear during its rotation around the earth.
1. First Quarter
2. Waxing Crescent
3. New Moon
4. Waning Crescent
5. Third Quarter
6. Waning Gibbous
7. Full Moon
8. Waxing Gibbous

3. Figuring Out The ‘weird’ Terms
The simplest way to memorize the phases of the moon is to understand these 4 terms.
The term crescent refers to the phases of the moon where the moon is LESS than half illuminated
The exact opposite is true for the word gibbous which appears when the moon is MORE than half illuminated.
Waxing essentially means “growing”, so this occurs when the moon’s illumination is expanding.
When the moon’s illumination is decreasing until it is completely gone (new moon) it is waning.

4. Here’s a better look at the key stages

5. Believe it or not…
Although the moon’s surface may show a bit more one day than the next, it is ALWAYS half illuminated.
For example, if you are staring at a moon that may be identified as a Waning Crescent it is still actually half illuminated in space.