Question

As the illuminated part of the moon appears to become smaller from night to night, its phases are said to be _____ ?

Answer 1

When the illuminated part of the moon gets smaller night after night, it is undergoing the waning phase. This phase follows the full moon and leads up to the new moon in the Moon's lunar cycle.

Step-by-step explanation:

As the illuminated part of the moon appears to become smaller from night to night, its phases are said to be waning. This occurs during the two weeks following the full moon, where we see the Moon's visible illuminated hemisphere decrease night after night until it returns to the new phase after about 29.5 days. During this period, known as the waning phase, the moon goes through the waning gibbous, the third quarter (at which point half the Moon's visible side is dark), and finally the waning crescent phase.