The first moon phase is the new moon.
During the new moon phase, the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun. As a result, the side of the moon that faces Earth is not illuminated by the sun, making the moon virtually invisible to the naked eye from Earth. While technically present in the sky, it appears dark. This marks the beginning of the lunar cycle, from which the other seven phases follow in sequence. The eight lunar phases in order are: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.
