Phases of the Moon

Explore the fascinating phases of the moon!

Moon Phases Watch the video below to help you answer the following questions about moon phases. How long does it take for the moon to revolve around the Earth? 24 hours 27.3 days 365.25 days True or false: The moon produces its own light. True False How much of the moon is always lit up by the sun? All of it None of it Half of it What causes the different phases of the moon we see each night? how much the moon is tilted towards the Earth how much of the sunlit side of the moon is visible is to us as it revolves around the Earth how close the moon is to the sun Match each moon phase with the correct description. New Moon Sun, moon, and Earth are aligned and the side facing the Earth is dark and the moon is not visible. Waxing Crescent A tiny sliver of light is visible and the visible portion is getting larger as it moves toward the first quarter phase. First Quarter The moon has moved eastward in it's orbit from the new moon phase and forms a right angle with the sun and Earth. The moon appears "half bright and half dark". Waxing Gibbous More than half of the moon appears illuminated and grows more and more each night. Full moon The moon appears completely illuminated. It is aligned with the sun and Earth. Waning Gibbous More than half of the moon appears illuminated, but you see a little less each night. Third Quarter Only the left half of the moon's surface appears illuminated. The moon has made 75% of its trip around the Earth. Waning Crescent Less than a quarter of the moon is visible and the visible part is getting smaller as it moves toward the new moon phase Name the phase of the moon that we observe at each position as it revolves around the Earth. Must be spelled correctly. First Quarter Waxing Crescent New Moon Waxing Gibbous Full Moon Waning Gibbous Third Quarter Waning Crescent