So if we start at the new moon picture, we wax until the full moon. From the full moon, we wan until the new moon.

Waxing – the lit part is getting bigger! Waning – the lit part is getting smaller!

Starting at a New moon The white part is getting bigger…. Waxing Crescent The white part is exactly ½ of what we see… and it’s the first time after the new moon we’ve seen it… First Quarter! Still waxing because the white is getting bigger… the white section is more than ½… Waxing Gibbous The moon is fully lit ! Full Moon! Now the white part is getting smaller so it is wanning. The white part is still more than ½… so it is a Waning Gibbous! Still waning because the white is getting smaller… exactly ½… so it is the 3 rd Quarter Still waning…it is heading toward the new moon… but it is a crescent…. Waning crescent

Still having trouble with Waxing vs Waning? Waxing : the lit area is on the right! Waning: the lit area is on the left!

The RIGHT way to WAX your car. Apply WAX with a LIGHT motion of your RIGHT hand Can’t remember that waxing goes with the light on the right?? Your car will shine in the LIGHT if you WAX it RIGHT!

Like the earth, half of the moon is always lit by the sun. Also like the Earth, half of the moon is completely dark. The moon does not really change, it travels around the Earth. The different faces that we see are really different sides of the moon.

Full Moon When the Earth is in between the moon and the sun, we see the whole face of the moon lit up by the sun. This is called a full moon.

Quarter Moon When the moon is above or below the Earth, we can only see half of the lit area of the moon. This is called a quarter moon.

Crescent Moon When the moon is in between the new moon and the quarter moons, we are only able to see a little sliver of the lighted side of the moon. These are called crescent moons.

As the moon grows larger, towards becoming a full moon, it is called a waxing moon. newfull

As the moon grows smaller, away from being a full moon, it is called a waning moon. newfull

New Moon When the moon is in between the sun and the Earth, we cannot see the moon. This part of the moon is in the shade. This is called a new moon.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Waxing Crescent Light on the right. Less than half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Waning Gibbous Light on the left. More than half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

New Moon No light visible.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Waxing Gibbous Light on the right. More than half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

First Quarter Light on The right. Exactly half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Waning Crescent Light on the left. Less than half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Third (Last) Quarter Light on left. Less than half lit.

What Moon Phase Is This? And… How Do You Know?

Full Moon Fully lit.

The Real Full Moon Fully lit! Can you see the “Man in the Moon?”

Eclipses The Sun and Moon occasionally line up so that we have an eclipse. –These eclipses happen every year –To see a solar eclipse, you need to be on a particular part of the Earth

When the Earth’s shadow covers the Moon, we have a lunar eclipse

Three types of Lunar Eclipses Penumbral lunar eclipse —the Moon only passes through the penumbra of Earth’s shadow Partial lunar eclipse —part of the Moon passes through the umbra of Earth’s shadow Total lunar eclipse —the entire Moon passes through the umbra of Earth’s shadow Who on Earth will be able to see a lunar eclipse? Anyone who can see the Moon (anyone who is on the nighttime side of the Earth during the eclipse)

Images from Fred Espenak

Why is the Moon red during an eclipse? The Earth’s atmosphere filters some sunlight and allows it to reach the Moon’s surface The blue light is removed—scattered down to make a blue sky over those in daytime Remaining light is red or orange Some of this remaining light is bent or refracted so that a small fraction of it reaches the Moon Exact appearance depends on dust and clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere

Solar Eclipses When the Moon’s shadow covers part of the Earth Only happens at New Moon Three types: Annular, Partial, and Total

Total Solar Eclipse Observers in the “umbra” shadow see a total eclipse (safe to view the Sun); can see the corona Those in “penumbra” see a partial eclipse—not safe to look directly at Sun Only lasts a few minutes Path of Totality about 10,000 miles long, only 100 miles wide

Photo of a Total Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse When the Moon is too far to completely cover the Sun—the umbra doesn’t reach the Earth Sun appears as a donut around the Moon

Photos of an Annular Eclipse

Partial Solar Eclipses