Moon’s Phases and Tides
Moon Phases
Half of the Moon is always lit up by the sun.
As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different parts of the lighted area.
From Earth, the lit portion we see of the moon waxes (grows) and
wanes (shrinks).
The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon look as if
it is changing shape in the sky
The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself
every 29.5 days.
The phases always follow one another in the same order:
New moon
Waxing Crescent
First quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Full moon
Waning Gibbous
Third (last) Quarter
