* New Moon: The moon is not visible as it is between the Earth and the Sun.
* Waxing Crescent: A thin sliver of the moon becomes visible on the right side.
* First Quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated, appearing as a half-circle on the right side.
* Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the moon is illuminated, becoming increasingly full.
* Full Moon: The entire moon is illuminated.
* Waning Gibbous: The moon is still mostly illuminated, but the illuminated portion begins to decrease on the left side.
* Last Quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated, appearing as a half-circle on the left side.
* Waning Crescent: A thin sliver of the moon becomes visible on the left side.
The cycle of lunar phases takes about 29.5 days to complete, which is why we have a monthly cycle of the moon.
