The moon and its phases
Definition
The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite, and moon phases are the different shapes of the Moon that we see from Earth as it moves around Earth and reflects sunlight.
Main Details
The Moon does not produce its own light; it shines because it reflects sunlight.
It takes about 29½ days for the Moon to complete one full cycle of phases.
The Moon phases change gradually because of the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
There are 8 main phases of the Moon:
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full Moon
Waning Gibbous
Last (Third) Quarter
Waning Crescent
Examples
When you see the whole Moon bright at night, that is a Full Moon.
When you see a thin curve of the Moon, that is a Crescent Moon.
When you see half of the Moon lit, that is a Quarter Moon.
Fun Fact: The moon and its phases
Footprints on the Moon can stay for millions of years because there is no wind or rain.