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Your guide to the phases of the Moon, their names, and why they happen.

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For Group A & B. Watch the video, read and annotate the article

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Moon & Its Phases Science Lesson For Kids | Grades 3-5

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What causes the moon to change every night? What are all the moon phases, exactly? Watch this fun phases of the moon video for kids in 3rd-5th grade!

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Group C: Read and annotate the article

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Group A & B. Read and annotate the article.

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We have a slightly different view of the Moon each night. We describe how the Moon looks with the eight Moon phases, or shapes:

🌑 New

🌒 Waxing Crescent

🌓 First Quarter

🌔 Waxing Gibbous

🌕 Full

🌖 Waning Gibbous

🌗 Third Quarter

🌘 Waning Crescent

If you have looked into the night sky, you may have noticed the Moon appears to change shape each night. Some nights, the Moon might look like a narrow crescent. Other nights, the Moon might look like a bright circle. And on other nights, you might not be able to see the Moon at all. The different shapes of the Moon that we see at different times of the month are called the Moon's phases.

Why does this happen? The shape of the Moon isn't changing throughout the month. However, our view of the Moon does change.

The Moon does not produce its own light. There is only one source of light in our solar system, and that is the Sun. Without the Sun, our Moon would be completely dark. What you may have heard referred to as "moonlight" is actually just sunlight reflecting off of the Moon's surface.

The Sun's light comes from one direction, and it always illuminates, or lights up, one half of the Moon - the side of the Moon that is facing the Sun. The other side of the Moon is dark.

On Earth, our view of the illuminated part of the Moon changes each night, depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, or path, around Earth. When we have a full view of the completely illuminated side of the Moon, that phase is known as a full moon.

But following the night of each full moon, as the Moon orbits around Earth, we start to see less of the Moon lit by the Sun. Eventually, the Moon reaches a point in its orbit when we don't see any of the Moon illuminated. At that point, the far side of the Moon is facing the Sun. This phase is called a new moon. During the new moon, the side facing Earth is dark.

The eight Moon phases:

🌑 New: We cannot see the Moon when it is a new moon.

🌒 Waxing Crescent: In the Northern Hemisphere, we see the waxing crescent phase as a thin crescent of light on the right.

🌓 First Quarter: We see the first quarter phase as a half moon.

🌔 Waxing Gibbous: The waxing gibbous phase is between a half moon and full moon. Waxing means it is getting bigger.

🌕 Full: We can see the Moon completely illuminated during full moons.

🌖 Waning Gibbous: The waning gibbous phase is between a full moon and a half moon. Waning means it is getting smaller.

🌗 Third Quarter: We see the third quarter moon as a half moon, too. It is the opposite half as illuminated in the first quarter moon.

🌘 Waning Crescent: In the Northern Hemisphere, we see the waning crescent phase as a thin crescent of light on the left.

The Moon displays these eight phases one after the other as it moves through its cycle each month. It takes about 27.3 days for the Moon to orbit Earth. However, because of how sunlight hits the Moon, it takes about 29.5 days to go from one new moon to the next new moon.

Here's what the Moon looks like right now from Earth:

Interested in learning more about the Moon?

Related Resources for Educators

Daily Moon Guide
Moon Phases Simulation Viewed from Earth and Space
Our World: Moon Phases
Make a Moon Phase Calendar and Calculator

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Moon Phases Explained (Animations and Timelapse)

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Using models to predict  the moon phases

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Using models to predict  the moon phases

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For group C

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Educators | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

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The Moon Has Shaped Human Civilization in Ways Both Subtle and ProfoundThe Moon has been Earth’s companion since the birth of the Solar System, 4.6 billion years ago. Ancient humans were captivated by the Moon’s cycles as it changed position, shape and vanished from the sky for part of its 29-day cycle. Stone age peoples recorded the phases of the Moon in various ways, as the observation of the Moon gave them a way to count the passage of days and predict the arrival of the seasons. Activities key to the development of human civilization like agriculture and hunting absolutely depended on reliable timekeeping, so all human societies developed ways to determine the length of the year.

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For Group A & B

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Chances are that when you imagine the night sky, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Moon "glowing" in the darkness. The Moon has always held a special place in our imaginations and in daily life.

It's no wonder that we are fascinated. The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and one that we can easily see most nights.

What makes the Moon glow?

The Moon does not shine with its own light. It simply reflects light coming from the Sun.

Why does it look like the Moon is changing shape?

From Earth, it might look like the Moon is changing shape each night - from a tiny sliver to a half moon to a full moon and back again. What's actually happening is that from our spot on Earth, we see different parts of the Moon lit up by the Sun as the Moon travels in its orbit.

Is there actually a "dark side" of the Moon?

No. The Moon rotates on its own axis at the same rate that it orbits around Earth. That means we always see the same side of the Moon from our position on Earth. The side we don't see gets just as much light, so a more accurate name for that part of the Moon is the "far side."

How did the Moon form?

Scientists believe that the Moon formed early in the solar system's history after Earth and an object about the size of Mars smashed into each other. The impact sent chunks of Earth and the impactor into space that were pulled together by gravity, creating the Moon.

How do we study the Moon?

Even thousands of years ago, humans drew pictures to track the changes of the Moon. Later, people used their observations of the Moon to create calendars.

Today, we study the Moon using telescopes and spacecraft. For example, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the Moon and sending back measurements since 2009.

The Moon is the only other planetary body that humans have visited. On July 20, 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first people to set foot on the dusty surface of the Moon. Ten other American astronauts followed. They collected hundreds of pounds of lunar soil and rock samples, conducted experiments and installed equipment for follow-up measurements.

What do we know about the Moon?

Today, we know that the Moon is covered by craters as well as dust and debris from comets, asteroids and meteoroid impacts. We know that the Moon's dark areas, called maria - which is Latin for seas - are not actually seas. Instead, they are craters that lava seeped into billions of years ago. We know that the Moon has almost no atmosphere and only about one-sixth of Earth's gravity. We even know that there is quite a bit of frozen water tucked away in craters near the Moon's poles.

There are still many questions left to answer about the Moon. And the most exciting days of lunar activity may still lie ahead as NASA sends humans on the next missions to the Moon and eventually on to Mars!

For more information visit:
NASA Solar System Exploration