The Phases of the Moon

1. The Phases of the Moon Different Faces in the Night

2. We can see three different faces of the moon: • Full Moon • Quarter Moon • Crescent Moon

3. Like the earth, half of the moon is always lighted 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.

4. 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.

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

6. 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.

7. Crescent Moon • When the moon is in between the new moon and the half moon, we are only able to see a little sliver of the lighted side of the moon. • This is called a crescent moon.

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

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

10. Phases of the moon for April, 1998