Question
During which weeks in the moons cycle does the moon appear smaller
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The moon appears smaller during the **waning phases** of its cycle, specifically during the **waning gibbous** and **waning crescent** phases.
Here's a brief overview of the moon's phases:
1. **New Moon**: The moon is not visible from Earth.
2. **Waxing Crescent**: The moon starts to appear larger as a thin crescent.
3. **First Quarter**: Half of the moon is visible.
4. **Waxing Gibbous**: More than half of the moon is visible and it continues to grow.
5. **Full Moon**: The entire face of the moon is illuminated and appears its largest.
6. **Waning Gibbous**: The moon starts to decrease in size after the full moon.
7. **Last Quarter**: Again, half of the moon is visible but in the opposite half compared to the first quarter.
8. **Waning Crescent**: The moon becomes a thin crescent before returning to the new moon phase.
Thus, the weeks when the moon appears smaller are during the **waning gibbous** (the week following the full moon) and the **waning crescent** (the final week leading up to the new moon).
Here's a brief overview of the moon's phases:
1. **New Moon**: The moon is not visible from Earth.
2. **Waxing Crescent**: The moon starts to appear larger as a thin crescent.
3. **First Quarter**: Half of the moon is visible.
4. **Waxing Gibbous**: More than half of the moon is visible and it continues to grow.
5. **Full Moon**: The entire face of the moon is illuminated and appears its largest.
6. **Waning Gibbous**: The moon starts to decrease in size after the full moon.
7. **Last Quarter**: Again, half of the moon is visible but in the opposite half compared to the first quarter.
8. **Waning Crescent**: The moon becomes a thin crescent before returning to the new moon phase.
Thus, the weeks when the moon appears smaller are during the **waning gibbous** (the week following the full moon) and the **waning crescent** (the final week leading up to the new moon).