HOW THE LUNAR PHASES OCCUR
The phases of the moon are the effect of how the sun shines onto its orbit.The Moon, which is circular and reflects sunlight, is only later legendary.Only some of the lit side, as the Moon continues to revolve around us, is thus visible from our point of view.
How the Lunar Phases Work
I. New Moon
Location: The Moon is situated between the Earth and the Sun.The Sun shines on the portion of the side opposite to us Meant meaning moon is invisible to us.
Feature: During the phase of the new moon, the moon blocks sunlight, causing a solar eclipse.
II. Waxing Crescent
Location: The Moon shifts from directly linking Earth with the Sun.
Visibility: A bit of a sliver on the right side (in the northern hemisphere) comes and goes.
Idea: ʹWaxingʹ means growing larger; the lighted portion is increasing.
III. First Quarter (Half Moon)
Location: The Moon is at an angle of 90°, forming a right line with Earth and Sun.
Visibility: The right half of the lunar surface (when facing north) is illuminated.
Idea: The name comes from the Moon completing a quarter of its monthly turn around Earth.
IV. Waxing Gibbous
Location: As the Moon continues to move say away from a line between Sun and Earth.
Visibility: More than half but not all of the Moon is now lit up.
Key Idea: The word “gibbous” means bulging.
V. Full Moon
Location: The Earth lies between the Sun and Moon.
Visibility: All parts of the side facing Earth are fully illuminated.
Key Idea: Lunar eclipses on this phase happen in cases where our planet shunts off sunlight impinging upon signs from doing things above it.
VI. Waning Gibbous
Location: The Moon is now at the other end of its orbit around Sun from where it was moving.
Visibility: Half the Moon is visible but it is less than full (i.e. waning).
VII. Last Quarter (Half Moon)
Location: The Moon is equidistant in the opposite direction from Earth and Sun compared to its location when first quartered.
Visibility: Again the left half of the Moon’s surface is lit Sun side (north plank).
VIII. Waning Crescent
Position: The Moon is nearly daughter-in-law between the Earth and the Sun once more.
Visibility: A bright crescent moon can be observed on the left (in the Northern Hemisphere).
Lunar Phases
Duration: The lunar cycle takes a 29.5 days to finish (one synodic month).
Why It Is Not 28 Days: The Moon is also moving forwards at a tad: it (orbiting Earth just as fast as the Earth spins) produces synodic cycles extending by about half beat.
Views of the Phases
Picture yourself with a bulb (Sun), a ball (Moon), and your head (Earth).
Think about what’s involved in How much light falls out A lunar phase might have.
This simple experiment will reproduce what lunar phases look like!
Please let me know if more clarification or visuals are needed.🌙
