Month: July 2025

SYNCHRONOUS ROTATION – The Moon’s rotation period matches its orbit, so we always see the same side.

WANING GIBBOUS – The phase after the full moon, where the illuminated portion shrinks.

WAXING GIBBOUS – The phase before the full moon, where the illuminated portion grows.

WANING CRESCENT – The phase before the new moon, where the illuminated portion shrinks.

WAXING CRESCENT – The phase after the new moon, where a small crescent begins to appear.

THIRD QUARTER – The phase where the other half of the Moon is visible, occurring three-quarters of the way through its cycle.

FIRST QUARTER – The phase where half of the Moon is visible, occurring one-quarter of the way through its cycle.

FULL MOON – The phase when the Moon’s entire surface facing Earth is illuminated.

NEW MOON – The phase when the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, making it invisible from Earth.

LUNAR PHASES – The changing appearance of the Moon from Earth due to its orbit around the planet.