Moon Phases
· The Moon does not make its own light; it reflects the light from the Sun
· The Sun continuously illuminates half of the Moon’s surface, but varying amounts of it are visible from Earth at any moment
· Changes in visibility of the Moon’s surface follow a predictable pattern called the lunar cycle
· The positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon as they move through space cause the lunar phases to occur to viewers from Earth
· The Moon revolves around the Earth about every 28 days
· The lunar phases occur in order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent
· The lunar phases change about every 3.5 days
Vocabulary