11/19/2022 0 Comments Current lunar phaseThis is the stage when the moon is more than half lit but the illuminated surface we can see is decreasing. This is when we can sometimes see lunar eclipses. In this phase, the moon is behind Earth with respect to the sun, and its face is fully illuminated. The word “gibbous” comes from the Latin for “hump” and has been used for centuries to describe rounded or convex shapes, like swollen eyes or the back of a camel. #Current lunar phase full#When the moon is more than half full and still increasing its illuminated surface, it's called waxing gibbous. This is the phase when half of the moon is illuminated and the percentage of the lit surface is still increasing. Waxing crescentĪs the moon's illuminated surface increases, it's in a stage known as waxing, and it's a crescent as long as it's less than half full. We can see the moon in this phase only during a solar eclipse. New moonĭuring this phase the moon is between Earth and the sun, which means none of the lunar half we see is illuminated, and the moon becomes nearly invisible in the night sky. In any given month we see eight distinct phases of the moon, defined by how much of the lunar disk is illuminated from our perspective and whether the moon is heading toward or away from being full. #Current lunar phase series#That means the same side of the moon always faces Earth, although both sides get illuminated as the moon orbits, so there is no perpetual dark side of the moon.Īs the moon, Earth, and the sun go through their orbital dance, the part of the moon that's illuminated by sunlight moves in and out of our view, creating a predictable series of lunar phases. In essence, it takes roughly the same amount of time for the moon to spin once on its axis as it takes for our celestial companion to complete an orbit around Earth. In addition, our view of the moon is governed by a gravitational quirk called tidal locking. This lunar cycle happens in part because the moon does not produce its own light the silvery glow we see comes from sunlight reflecting off the moon's monochrome surface. What is the moon made of, and how did it form? Learn about the moon's violent origins, how its phases shaped the earliest calendars, and how humans first explored Earth's only natural satellite half a century ago.
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