Glossary · The moving sky
The phases of the Moon
- New moon
- Moon and Sun on the same side of the sky, less than 22° apart: the face turned to Earth sits in shadow. The 29.5-day cycle starts here.
- Waxing crescent
- The Moon pulls away from the Sun (22° to 67°): a first crescent appears in the evening sky and grows each night.
- First quarter
- A quarter of the cycle is done (67° to 112°): half the disc is lit, and the Moon rises around noon. This is where growing takes effort.
- Waxing gibbous
- More than half the disc is lit (112° to 157°) and still growing: full moon is near, and the Moon rules the evening sky.
- Full moon
- Moon and Sun face to face (157° to 202°), Earth between them: the whole disc is lit and the Moon rises as the Sun sets.
- Waning gibbous
- The disc, still three-quarters lit (202° to 247°), is shrinking: the Moon rises after sunset and shines late into the night.
- Last quarter
- Three quarters of the cycle are done (247° to 292°): half the disc stays lit, and the Moon rises around midnight. The cycle is closing.
- Waning crescent
- The last crescent (292° to 360°) rises just before dawn, on the side of the Sun it will soon rejoin. The nights are nearly dark.
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