* The Moon doesn't emit its own light. It reflects sunlight.
* The Moon orbits the Earth. This orbit takes about 27.3 days.
* The angle between the Sun, Earth, and Moon constantly changes. As the Moon orbits, we see different amounts of the illuminated side.
Here's how the phases work:
1. New Moon: The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. We can't see the Moon because the illuminated side is facing the Sun, away from us.
2. Waxing Crescent: The Moon begins to move away from the Sun, and we see a sliver of the illuminated side.
3. First Quarter: The Moon is at a 90-degree angle to the Sun and Earth, and we see half of the illuminated side.
4. Waxing Gibbous: The Moon continues to move away from the Sun, and we see more than half of the illuminated side.
5. Full Moon: The Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, and we see the entire illuminated side.
6. Waning Gibbous: The Moon starts moving towards the Sun again, and we see less than half of the illuminated side.
7. Last Quarter: The Moon is again at a 90-degree angle to the Sun and Earth, but now we see the opposite half of the illuminated side.
8. Waning Crescent: The Moon is getting closer to the Sun, and we see a small sliver of the illuminated side.
The cycle then repeats with the next New Moon.
