When you see the moon as a slim crescent – in the west after sunset – it’s a waxing moon. Is that Earth’s shadow on the moon? No, it’s the moon’s own shadow.
Moon Phases
May 24, 2012
Tonight
33 Comments
Why does the moon seem to change its shape every night? Remember that the moon is a world in space – with a day side and a night side.
May 15, 2012
Tonight
26 Comments
A waning crescent moon is sometimes called an old moon. It’s seen in the east before dawn.
Apr 08, 2012
Tonight
41 Comments
In the few days after full moon, you’ll often see a waning gibbous moon in the west in early morning, floating against the pale blue sky.
Apr 03, 2012
Tonight
30 Comments
A waxing gibbous moon appears high in the east at sunset. It’s more than half-lighted, but less than full.
Mar 30, 2012
Tonight
24 Comments
A first quarter moon rises at noon and is high overhead at sunset. It sets around midnight.
Mar 22, 2012
Tonight
36 Comments
On the day of new moon, the moon rises when the sun rises. It sets when the sun sets. It crosses the sky with the sun during the day.
Feb 07, 2012
Tonight
31 Comments
Full moon always comes about two weeks after new moon, when the moon is midway around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.
Jul 20, 2009
Tonight
12 Comments
A last quarter moon looks half-illuminated. It rises around midnight, appears at its highest in the sky at dawn, and sets around noon.
