Question

What happens right after the full moon phase?

a) the moon becomes new.
b) the moon goes through its phases in the reverse order.
c) the moon seems to disappear in the sky.
d) the moon starts to wax.

Answer 1

After the full moon, the moon goes through its phases in reverse order, starting with the waning gibbous, moving through the third quarter phase, and ending with the new moon.

Step-by-step explanation:

Right after the full moon phase, the moon begins to wane, meaning we start seeing less of the illuminated part of the moon each night. The correct answer is (b) the moon goes through its phases in reverse order. This is because the moon's cycle continues with the waning gibbous phase, followed by the third quarter phase, where only half of the moon's visible side is illuminated. About a week after the full moon, the moon reaches the third quarter phase, rising around midnight and setting around noon. Following this, the waning crescent phase occurs before finally returning to the new moon phase, which completes the cycle.