Waxing Crescent Moon
Photographed through a Celestron FirstScope with a 32mm lens and Sony 7 megapixel camera on January 26, 2012 at about 7:15 p.m. Photo enlarged so details can be seen.
Moon Phases Explained
Understanding what you see....
Here is an easy way to remember moon cycles: new moon and full moon, first quarter and third quarter, and phases in between.
A new moon occurs when the moon is between the earth and sun. The back side of the moon is illuminated, the side of the moon we cannot see.
At full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, like a new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view.
The first quarter and third quarter moons, referred to as a half moon, occur when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. We see half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow.
If you understand the above primary moon phases, the phases in-between will be easier to visualize, as the illuminated portion gradually transitions between them.
“Between" lunar phases are named crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. Crescent refers to phases where the moon is less that half illuminated.
Gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing implies "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waning means "shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.
You combine the words to create the phase name like this:
After a new moon, the sunlit portion of the moon is increasing, but less than half is illuminated, therefore, it is a waxing crescent. After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but is more than half, so it is a waxing gibbous. After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases and a waning gibbous phase occurs.
Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone and we once again have a new moon that we cannot see.
Waxing Crescent Moon
Photographed through a Celestron FirstScope with a 32mm lens and Sony 7 megapixel camera on January 26, 2012 at about 7:15 p.m. Photo enlarged so details can be seen.
Moon Phases Explained
Understanding what you see....
Here is an easy way to remember moon cycles: new moon and full moon, first quarter and third quarter, and phases in between.
A new moon occurs when the moon is between the earth and sun. The back side of the moon is illuminated, the side of the moon we cannot see.
At full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, like a new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view.
The first quarter and third quarter moons, referred to as a half moon, occur when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. We see half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow.
If you understand the above primary moon phases, the phases in-between will be easier to visualize, as the illuminated portion gradually transitions between them.
“Between" lunar phases are named crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. Crescent refers to phases where the moon is less that half illuminated.
Gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing implies "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waning means "shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.
You combine the words to create the phase name like this:
After a new moon, the sunlit portion of the moon is increasing, but less than half is illuminated, therefore, it is a waxing crescent. After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but is more than half, so it is a waxing gibbous. After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases and a waning gibbous phase occurs.
Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone and we once again have a new moon that we cannot see.