These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases of the moon (new moon, first quarter, ...
The phases exist because of how the moon orbits Earth. "Sunlight illuminates half the Earth and half the moon at all times," NASA says in an explainer. "But as the moon orbits around the ...
Thanks to the Moon’s orbit aroundEarth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back to our planet changes. That creates different lunar phases. The next Full ...