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Phase 1 - New Moon - The side of the moon that is facing the Earth is not lit up by the sun. At this time the moon is not visible.Phase 2 - Waxing Crescent - A small part (less than 1/2) of the moon is lit up at this point. The part that is lit up is slowly getting bigger.Phase 3 - First Quarter - One half of the moon is lit up by the sun at this point. The part that is lit up is slowly getting bigger.Phase 4 - Waxing Gibbous - At this time half of the moon is lit up. The part that is lit is slowly getting bigger. Waxing means to slowly get bigger.Phase 5 - Full Moon - The side of the moon that is lit up by the sun is facing the Earth. The entire moon is lit up at this point.Phase 6 - Waning Gibbous - The moon is not quite lit up all the way by sunlight. The part of the moon this is lit is slowly getting smaller. Waning means to slowly get smaller.Phase 7 - Last Quarter - Half of the moon is lit up but the sun. The part that we can see lit up is slowly getting smaller.Phase 8 - Waning Crescent - A small part of the moon is lit up at this point. It is getting smaller by the minute.
The general term for the visible lit part of the moon is "the phase of the moon." The visible lit portion can have a crescent shape, a gibbous shape or a "half-moon" (half circle) shape.
the sun
The side facing the sun is lit up.
crescent
Phase 1 - New Moon - The side of the moon that is facing the Earth is not lit up by the sun. At this time the moon is not visible.Phase 2 - Waxing Crescent - A small part (less than 1/2) of the moon is lit up at this point. The part that is lit up is slowly getting bigger.Phase 3 - First Quarter - One half of the moon is lit up by the sun at this point. The part that is lit up is slowly getting bigger.Phase 4 - Waxing Gibbous - At this time half of the moon is lit up. The part that is lit is slowly getting bigger. Waxing means to slowly get bigger.Phase 5 - Full Moon - The side of the moon that is lit up by the sun is facing the Earth. The entire moon is lit up at this point.Phase 6 - Waning Gibbous - The moon is not quite lit up all the way by sunlight. The part of the moon this is lit is slowly getting smaller. Waning means to slowly get smaller.Phase 7 - Last Quarter - Half of the moon is lit up but the sun. The part that we can see lit up is slowly getting smaller.Phase 8 - Waning Crescent - A small part of the moon is lit up at this point. It is getting smaller by the minute.
crescent moon. when the lit part of the moon is to the left it is called Waning Crescent Moon and when the lit part of the moon is to the right it is called Waxing Crescent Moon
The general term for the visible lit part of the moon is "the phase of the moon." The visible lit portion can have a crescent shape, a gibbous shape or a "half-moon" (half circle) shape.
the sun
The side facing the sun is lit up.
That would be the "Full Moon".
craters
crescent
That is the new moon phase.
It is called the eclipse
Roughly half of the moon is lit by the sun at all times. The moon revolves around the earth so we only see the part of the moon that actually faces the sun, which is how the moon has phases.
That configuration is known as the "New Moon" phase.