Moon Phases

Tides

Regular rise and fall of sea levels, caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun

First Quarter

The Moon is now a quarter of the way through its monthly journey and you see half of its illuminated side

Waxing Crescent

This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet

New Moon

In this phase, the Moon is in the same part of the sky as the Sun and rises and sets with the Sun.

Waning Crescent

The Moon is nearly back to the point in its orbit where its dayside directly faces the Sun, and all that we see from our perspective is a thin curve

Last Quarter

Also known as a third quarter moon, rises around midnight and sets around noon.

Waning Gibbous

As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light

Full Moon

As close as we come to seeing the Sun’s illumination of the entire day side of the Moon. The Moon is opposite the Sun, as viewed from Earth, revealing the Moon’s dayside.

Waxing Gibbous

Most of the Moon’s dayside has come into view, and the Moon appears brighter in the sky.