Half of the Moon you cannot see because it faces away from Earth. Half of the side you could see is in darkness at "half Moon". That makes 3/4 of the Moon invisible and 1/4 visible. Hence "a quarter Moon" is visible.
Another viewpoint:
No, that's not really the answer. This is the answer:
Let's start with "New Moon". Later, at "Full Moon", the Moon is halfway through its cycle of phases.
Halfway between these two phases we see a half Moon. That's called the "first quarter" phase, because the Moon is a quarter of the way through its phases.
So, that's why we see the half Moon at a "quarter" phase.
It does cause confusion.
The phase where the moon looks like a semicircle is called the "first quarter" or "last quarter," depending on its position in the lunar cycle. In the first quarter phase, half of the moon's surface is illuminated and visible from Earth, appearing as a right half. In the last quarter phase, the left half is illuminated. Both phases showcase a semi-circular appearance of the moon.
The moon phase between waxing crescent and first quarter is called waxing gibbous. In this phase, the moon is more than half illuminated but less than full.
The Moon's third quarter phase, also known as the last quarter, occurs when half of the Moon's visible surface is illuminated and is located between the full moon and the new moon. The first quarter phase, conversely, also features half of the Moon illuminated but occurs between the new moon and the full moon. Both phases showcase the same amount of illumination (50% of the lunar surface), but they are opposite each other in the lunar cycle, with the first quarter appearing in the evening sky and the third quarter in the morning sky.
because only half of the visible moon is lite. we only see half the moon so only a quarter of the moon is lite.===================================Another take:After the New Moon . . .-- The 'first quarter' is the phase that's seen after 1/4 of the timeuntil the next New Moon has passed.-- The 'third quarter' is the phase that's seen after 3/4 of the timeuntil the next New Moon has passed.
The waning Moon phase in which only one-half of the lighted side of the Moon can be seen from Earth is called the Third Quarter Moon. It occurs when the Moon has completed three-quarters of its 29.5-day cycle.
The phase where the moon looks like a semicircle is called the "first quarter" or "last quarter," depending on its position in the lunar cycle. In the first quarter phase, half of the moon's surface is illuminated and visible from Earth, appearing as a right half. In the last quarter phase, the left half is illuminated. Both phases showcase a semi-circular appearance of the moon.
When over half of the moon is visible, it is called the "gibbous" phase. Specifically, it is referred to as "waxing gibbous" when the moon is increasing in illumination and "waning gibbous" when it is decreasing. This phase occurs after the first quarter and before the full moon.
Half of the Moon you cannot see because it faces away from Earth. Half of the side you could see is in darkness at "half Moon". That makes 3/4 of the Moon invisible and 1/4 visible. Hence "a quarter Moon" is visible. Another viewpoint: No, that's not really the answer. This is the answer: Let's start with "New Moon". Later, at "Full Moon", the Moon is halfway through its cycle of phases. Halfway between these two phases we see a half Moon. That's called the "first quarter" phase, because the Moon is a quarter of the way through its phases. So, that's why we see the half Moon at a "quarter" phase. It does cause confusion.
It sounds like the moon is currently waxing gibbous, with more than a quarter but less than half of the moon visible. As it progresses towards the third quarter phase, the visible portion will continue to decrease until only half of the moon is visible.
The last quarter of the Moon occurs when half of the side we see from Earth is illuminated. This phase happens after the waning gibbous phase and before the new moon phase in the lunar cycle.
The first quarter on the moon occurs when the moon is half illuminated, transitioning from a new moon to a full moon. This phase is also known as the waxing crescent phase, where the right half of the moon is visible from Earth.
The moon phase you are describing is the waxing crescent phase. During this phase, less than half of the moon is illuminated, and the visible portion is increasing as it progresses toward the first quarter phase. The illumination grows as the moon orbits the Earth, moving away from the new moon phase.
That phase is called the third quarter or it could be called a waning half moon.
As the moon transitions from the new moon phase to the first quarter phase, the visible portion of its surface, or the illuminated part, increases. This is due to the moon's orbit around the Earth, which allows more sunlight to illuminate its surface. During this time, the crescent shape of the moon gradually expands, leading to a larger visible portion. Eventually, it will reach the first quarter phase, where half of the moon will be illuminated.
first or last quarter
Your question is not clear, but if your talking about the phases of the Moon, then the answer would be a 1st and 3rd quarter.
The half moon is also called the "first quarter" or "third quarter" moon, depending on its phase. In the first quarter, the right half of the moon is illuminated, while in the third quarter, the left half is lit. This terminology refers to the moon's position in relation to the Earth and the Sun.