Observing Patterns of the Moon

Observing Patterns of the Moon - Introduction

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and noticed how the moon changes shape? It can look like a little slice of cheese or a big, round ball of light. These changes are called moon phases, and they happen as the moon travels around Earth. Let’s explore how the moon changes and why it looks different on different days!

Phases of the Moon

The moon doesn't make its own light; it reflects light from the sun. As the moon moves around Earth, the part that we can see lit up by the sun changes, and this is what we call the moon's phases.

Let’s check your understanding so far!

What are the Moon Phases?

There are many different phases of the moon. Before we learn about moon phases, there are two special terms that you should know to understand moon phases - waxing and waning.

Waxing means the moon is getting bigger and brighter. After the New Moon, when the moon is all dark, it starts to light up a little bit more each night. It grows from a tiny sliver into a full, bright moon.

Waning means the moon is getting smaller and darker. After the Full Moon, when the moon is all bright, it starts to lose a little bit of light each night. It shrinks from a full moon back to being completely dark.

Below are the phases of the moon in more detail!

New Moon

During the New Moon phase, the moon is located between Earth and the sun. This positioning means the side of the moon that faces Earth is not lit by the sun, making it invisible to us. This is the start of the lunar cycle.

Waxing Crescent

After the New Moon, the moon moves slightly and begins to show a Waxing Crescent. This phase reveals a thin slice of the moon as it starts to light up. It's like a little silver nail clipping in the sky, growing larger each night.

First Quarter

When the moon reaches the First Quarter phase, half of the moon’s side facing Earth is illuminated by the sun. This phase is called the First Quarter because the moon has travelled about a quarter of the way through its orbit around Earth.

Waxing Gibbous

Following the First Quarter, the moon continues to wax, entering the Waxing Gibbous phase. In this phase, more than half of the moon’s face is illuminated but not yet full. The light on the moon grows each night until it becomes a full moon.

Full Moon

The Full Moon phase occurs when the entire face of the moon that faces Earth is illuminated by the sun's light. This happens when Earth is between the sun and the moon. The full moon is bright and round, visible all night from sunset to sunrise.

Waning Gibbous

After the Full Moon, the illumination begins to decrease, entering the Waning Gibbous phase. During this phase, the moon starts to look as though it’s shrinking, but more than half of its face is still illuminated.

Third Quarter

The Last Quarter moon phase shows exactly half of the moon's face lit up, just like the First Quarter. However, in this phase, the opposite side of the moon is illuminated. This marks the transition into the waning phases, where the moon’s visible light continues to decrease.

Waning Crescent

The final phase before returning to a New Moon is the Waning Crescent. In this phase, only a tiny sliver of the moon's surface is illuminated. The crescent gets smaller each night, fading back into the darkness of the New Moon, ready to start the cycle all over again.

Moon Phase Experiment

Let’s do a fun experiment to see how moon phases work!

Phases of the Moon Quiz

Let’s see what you have learnt about the phases of the moon.

Observing the Moon – Summary

Now that you know about the moon’s phases, you can look up at the sky each night and see if you can tell which phase the moon is in! If learning about the moon interests you, then check out the learning texts on observing stars.

Moon Phases – Frequently Asked Questions