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Lunar Cycle
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Lunar Cycle | The change in the appearance of the Moon as it makes one full revolution around the Earth. |
Full Moon | When sunlight illuminates only the Moon's near side - the side that always faces Earth. |
New Moon | When sunlight is illuminating only the Moon's far side - the side we can't directly see from the Earth. |
Waxing Crescent | The lighted part of the Moon as seen from Earth is increasing. The light on the right is new and bright. |
Waning Crescent | The lighted part of the Moon as seen Earth from Earth is decreasing on the left. The shape of the light is crescent. |
Waxing Gibbous | From Earth, the Moon appears to be more than half lit on the right. The lighted is shaped like a football. |
Waning Gibbous | From Earth, the Moon appears to be more than half lit on the left. The lighted part is now decreasing. |
First Quarter | From Earth, the Moon appears to be half lit on the right. |
Third/Last Quarter | The Moon is three-quarters of the way through the cycle/It appears to be half lit on the left. |