There are actually eight phases of the moon in a lunar cycle, not eight phases. Here they are in order:

1. New Moon: Invisible to the naked eye.

2. Waxing Crescent: A thin sliver of the moon becomes visible, growing larger each night.

3. First Quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated, appearing as a perfect semicircle.

4. Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the moon is illuminated, growing larger each night.

5. Full Moon: The entire moon is illuminated, appearing as a bright, round disk.

6. Waning Gibbous: More than half of the moon is illuminated, but shrinking each night.

7. Last Quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated, appearing as a perfect semicircle, but on the opposite side from the First Quarter.

8. Waning Crescent: A thin sliver of the moon is illuminated, shrinking each night until it disappears completely, returning to the New Moon phase.