Stages of the Moon Each Day

New Moon

• A New Moon is when the Moon appears invisible in the night sky when, in fact, it is simply unlit by the Sun due to its position in relation to the Earth. The only time a New Moon is visible from the Earth is during a Solar Eclipse when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This stage of the Moon marks the beginning and the ending of the Moon's five main phases.

Crescent Moon

• A Crescent Moon occurs when less than one-half of the Moon's surface is lit by the Sun, creating a crescent shape of varying size. There are two kinds of Crescent Moons that appear during the monthly cycle: the Waxing Crescent and the Waning Crescent. The Waxing Crescent appears around Day 4 of the Lunar cycle and designates the stage where the Crescent Moon is growing into a Half Moon. The Waning Crescent occurs around Day 26 and signals the Crescent Moon shrinking into a New Moon.

Half Moon

• There are two Half Moons per month, appearing when the Sun illuminates precisely half of the lunar surface. The First-Quarter Half Moon happens at Day 7 and continues to grow in size to a Gibbous Moon. The Last-Quarter Half Moon shrinks to a Waning Crescent and typically makes an appearance on Day 22.

Gibbous Moon

• The Gibbous Moon describes when the Moon is more than 50 percent illuminated. There is a Waxing Gibbous that shows up at Day 10 and turns into a Full Moon; and a Waning Gibbous that appears after the Full Moon around Day 18.

Full Moon

• The Full Moon occurs when the moon is entirely lit by the Sun. This happens midway through the lunar cycle at Day 14. The Full Moon has different names depending upon what month in which it appears. For example, the Full Moon that appears closest to the Autumnal Equinox is called the "Harvest Moon," while the one nearest the Winter Solstice is known as the "Long Night Moon."

Blue Moon

• A Blue Moon stands alone outside the regular lunar stages--making an appearance on average once every 2.7 years. Due to the slightly shorter lunar orbital cycle (29.5 days) versus the actual days per calendar month (30 to 31 days), there will occasionally be a month in which the Full Moon will appear twice. This rare second Full Moon within one calendar month is called a Blue Moon, hence the saying for an unusual occurrence: "Once in a Blue Moon."