The illumination of the Moon is primarily due to sunlight reflecting off its surface. The Moon does not produce its own light; instead, it shines because it reflects the sunlight that reaches it. The phase of the Moon that we observe from Earth depends on the relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun.
Here is a brief explanation of how the moon phases occur:
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New Moon: The Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun, with its illuminated side facing away from Earth, making it invisible to us.
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Waxing Crescent: As the Moon moves in its orbit, a small sliver of its illuminated side becomes visible.
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First Quarter: Half of the Moon is illuminated and is visible from Earth.
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Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the Moon’s surface is illuminated as it approaches a full moon.
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Full Moon: The Earth is between the Moon and the Sun; the entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible.
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Waning Gibbous: After the full moon, the illuminated portion starts decreasing.
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Last Quarter: Again, half of the Moon is illuminated, but the opposite side from the First Quarter.
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Waning Crescent: A small sliver of the illuminated side is visible before it returns to the New Moon phase.
Each phase represents a different angle of sunlight illumination as viewed from Earth, demonstrating the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
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