Astronomy › lesson 04 of 100 · Beginner

Phases of the Moon

Moon phases result from its orbit around Earth.

Imagine you are outside on a clear night and notice that the Moon appears to be growing larger. As you continue to observe the Moon over the next few nights, you notice that it appears to be changing shape. This change in appearance is due to the Moon phases, which are caused by the Moon's orbit around the Earth. As the Moon orbits the Earth, different amounts of its illuminated surface are visible from our planet, resulting in the various phases.

The Moon's orbit is not a perfect circle and its distance from the Earth varies, but for the purpose of understanding the phases, we can consider it as a circular orbit. The New Moon phase occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, and the side of the Moon facing the Earth is not illuminated. As the Moon moves away from the New Moon phase, we see more and more of its illuminated surface, resulting in the Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent phases.

The key to understanding the Moon phases is to recognize that the Moon's orbit around the Earth is the primary factor in determining its appearance in the sky.

Mga halimbawa

• New MoonThe side of the Moon facing the Earth is not illuminated.
• Full MoonThe entire face of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun.
• First QuarterThe right half of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible from the Earth.

Sinusuri ng buong kurso ang bawat aralin sa 5 tanong, umaakma sa iyong antas at iniimbak ang iyong kinalalagyan.