Here's why:
* Lunar Phases: The moon's phases are caused by the changing angles of sunlight reflecting off its surface as it orbits the Earth.
* New Moon: During a new moon, the entire illuminated side of the moon faces away from Earth, so we see nothing.
* Waxing Crescent: As the moon orbits, we start seeing a sliver of light.
* First Quarter: Half the moon is illuminated.
* Waxing Gibbous: More than half the moon is illuminated.
* Full Moon: The entire illuminated side faces Earth, making the moon appear full.
* Waning Gibbous: More than half the moon is illuminated, but the lit portion starts shrinking.
* Last Quarter: Half the moon is illuminated again.
* Waning Crescent: A sliver of light is visible, getting smaller until it disappears at the next new moon.
So, if you see a crescent moon, you'll always see the same amount of lit surface, regardless of the date or time. The same applies to the other phases - the amount of lit surface is consistent for that particular phase.
