Final answer:
The eight phases of the Moon are New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. These phases are caused by the Moon's orbit around Earth, which results in different amounts of the Moon's surface being illuminated by the Sun and visible from our perspective on Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Lunar Phases
There are eight phases of the Moon, which make up the lunar cycle. This cycle portrays the changing appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth, depending on the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. The cause of the lunar phases is the Moon's orbit around the Earth, which results in different portions of the Moon's surface being lit by the Sun and visible from Earth at various times.
- New Moon: The Moon is between Earth and the Sun, and the side facing Earth is not illuminated, making it nearly invisible. During this phase, the Moon is up throughout the day and sets around sunset.
- Waxing Crescent: A sliver of the Moon's surface is lit up and becomes visible after the new Moon. It is visible in the western sky after sunset.
- First Quarter: Half of the Moon's surface is visible in the evening sky, setting around midnight.
- Waxing Gibbous: The lit portion of the Moon increases and is visible from the afternoon until past midnight.
- Full Moon: The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and is visible all night, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.
- Waning Gibbous: The illuminated part begins to decrease and is visible from late evening to the following morning.
- Last Quarter: Again, half of the Moon's surface is visible but now is diminishing on the other side, rising around midnight and setting around noon.
- Waning Crescent: A small crescent of light remains on the Moon's surface, visible in the early morning sky before sunrise.
The Moon's rotation and revolution around Earth ensure that we always see the same side of the Moon, leading to its phases. It takes roughly 14 days to transition from a full moon to a new moon, and vice versa, completing a full cycle approximately every 29.5 days.