Hobbies And Interests
Waxing Crescent
"Waxing" means "gradually increasing," and refers to the moon's transition from a new moon to a full moon. The waxing crescent is the first visible phase of the lunar cycle, and takes its name from the thin, curved appearance of the lunar disk.
First Quarter
In this phase, 50 percent of the moon's disk -- or a quarter of its total surface -- is visible from Earth. The name "first quarter" refers to the fact that the moon is a quarter of the way through its orbit around Earth; it is commonly but erroneously called a "half moon." The first quarter moon rises at noon, appears high in the sky around sunset and sets at midnight.
Waxing Gibbous
In the waxing gibbous phase, more than 50 percent of the moon's disk is illuminated, but it is not yet 100-percent visible. The waxing gibbous moon appears almost two weeks into the lunar cycle. It rises between noon and sunset, and sets in the late hours after midnight.
Full Moon
During a full moon, Earth sits between the sun and the moon, and the entire face of the moon is visible. Lunar eclipses can only happen during a full moon, when Earth's shadow falls across the lunar disk.
Waning Gibbous
In the waning gibbous phase, the moon gradually decreases in visibility, but more than 50 percent of its disk remains visible. This phase occurs a few days after the full moon. The waning gibbous moon rises well after sunset, often late at night. It stays in the sky until morning, usually setting at, or right after, sunrise.
Last Quarter
Three weeks after the new moon, the moon is in the last quarter phase. As with the first quarter moon, only half of the moon's disk is visible from Earth. At this point, the moon is three-quarters of its way around Earth, at a right angle to the line formed by Earth and the sun. The last quarter moon is noticeably closer to the sun when it rises. This phase is also called "third quarter."
Waning Crescent
In this phase, the moon appears in the east just before dawn, and sets before sunset. Each day, the moon's crescent gets smaller. The waning crescent isn't visible during the day, because it's too close to the sun. This phase is also called the "old moon," or the "old crescent moon."
New Moon
The lunar cycle begins and ends with a new moon. In this phase, the illuminated side of the moon faces away from Earth, and the side of the moon facing Earth is dark. The new moon rises and sets with the sun. At this point, the moon is between Earth and the sun; however, it normally travels above or below the sun's disk, with respect to observers on Earth. When the moon passes directly in front of the sun, the result is a solar eclipse.