Phases of the moon
This video gives answers to why moon changes its shape? The phases of the moon or the Lunar Phase is a set of different ways the Moon looks from Earth over about a month.
What causes the moon phases?
The lunar phases are created by cyclic changes in angles of the earth, the moon and the sun, as the moon completes its cycle around the earth.
Phases: –
- New Moon: – in this phase, the moon is not visible because we are looking at the unlit half of the moon. This phase occurs when the Moon is directly between the Sun and Earth. Possibility of a solar eclipse is only in this phase.
- Waxing Crescent Moon: – When the moon looks like crescent increases in size from one day to the next.
- First Quarter Moon/Half moon: – When half of the lit portion of the moon can be seen after the waxing crescent moon.
- Waxing Gibbous Moon: – This phase occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the moon is visible and the shape increases in size from one day to the next. This phase occurs between the first quarter and full moon phases.
- Full Moon: – When we can see the entire lit portion of the moon. This phase occurs when the Moon is on the different side of the Earth from the Sun. There is a possibility of a Lunar Eclipse only in this phase.
- Waning Gibbous Moon: – This phase occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the moon can be seen and the shape decreases in size from one day to the next. This phase occurs between the full moon and third quarter phases.
- Last Quarter Moon: – When half of the lit portion of the moon can be seen after the waning gibbous phase.
- Waning Crescent Moon: – When the moon looks like the crescent, decreasing in size from one day to the next.
What is Blue moon?
In one calendar month, if a second full moon is visible, then it is called a ‘Blue Moon’ and it occurs approximately every 3 years.