The "8 types of moons" typically refers to the eight phases of the Moon as it orbits the Earth. These phases describe the amount of the Moon's illuminated surface we can see from Earth.
Here's a breakdown of the eight lunar phases:
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New Moon: The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so the side facing Earth is not illuminated. The Moon is essentially invisible.
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Waxing Crescent: A small sliver of the Moon becomes visible, increasing in size each night. The term "waxing" means increasing.
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First Quarter: Half of the Moon's face is illuminated. This occurs when the Moon is at a 90-degree angle relative to the Earth and Sun.
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Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the Moon is illuminated, but it's not yet a full moon. "Gibbous" means bulging.
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Full Moon: The entire face of the Moon is illuminated. The Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.
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Waning Gibbous: After the full moon, the illuminated portion begins to decrease. "Waning" means decreasing. It's still more than half illuminated.
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Third Quarter: Also known as the last quarter. Half of the Moon's face is illuminated, but it's the opposite half compared to the first quarter.
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Waning Crescent: The illuminated portion continues to decrease, shrinking to a small crescent shape before disappearing at the next new moon.
In summary, these phases repeat in a cycle, driven by the Moon's orbit around the Earth and the changing angles between the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
