Getting larger is WAXING. Getting smaller is WANING..
The first visible thin slice of the moon is called a waxing crescent. It occurs when the illuminated portion of the moon is increasing but less than half.
The term used to describe the decrease in the visible portion of the moon is "waning." This occurs as the moon transitions from a full moon to a new moon phase.
The term for the moon growing (or appearing to in phases) is waxing.
When the illuminated portion is decreasing from one night to the next, the moon is in its 'waning' phases.
Waxing means that the illuminated part of the moon that faces us is increasing in size. Waxing starts at New Moon and ends at Full Moon. Then the moon wanes until New Moon.
During the two-weeks' period when the illuminated portion of the moon is increasing from night to night as seen from the earth, we say that the moon is in its "waxing" phases.
The first visible thin slice of the moon is called a waxing crescent. It occurs when the illuminated portion of the moon is increasing but less than half.
crescent
The term used to describe the decrease in the visible portion of the moon is "waning." This occurs as the moon transitions from a full moon to a new moon phase.
The term for the moon growing (or appearing to in phases) is waxing.
The Moon is "waxing".
When the illuminated portion is decreasing from one night to the next, the moon is in its 'waning' phases.
The Moon is not visible at the new moon phase. At the first quarter, it is "waxing" - the illuminated portion is increasing. At the full, the illuminated portion of the Moon is 100%, and it is finished waxing and is about to begin "waning", when the illuminated part is decreasing. At the 3rd quarter, it is waning.
Waxing means that the illuminated part of the moon that faces us is increasing in size. Waxing starts at New Moon and ends at Full Moon. Then the moon wanes until New Moon.
New Moon = the moment when none of the moon's illuminated half is visible from the earth.Waxing Crescent = about 7 days; visible portion growing from zero to half of the moon's diskFirst quarter = the moment when half of the moon's disk is visibleWaxing gibbous = about 7 days; visible portion growing from half to all of the moon's diskFull Moon = the moment when all of the moon;s illuminated half is visible from the earth.Waning gibbous = about 7 days; visible portion shrinking from all to half of the moon's diskLast quarter = the moment when half of the moon's disk is visibleWaning Crescent = about 7 days; visible portion shrinking from half of the moon's disk to zero
From what I have gathered: When the 'visible side' of the moon is increasing it is called 'waxing'. If it is decreasing it is called 'waning'. If you wish to have more information on the subject and even a moon phase calendar click on the website that I linked below, it also has more links to other websites about the moon.
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.