The Moon’s cycle is divided into four phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. The four minor phases are waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, and waning crescent. The lunar cycle changes gradually over approximately 29.53 days as the Moon’s position around Earth and Earth around the Sun shift.
Read the recently published children’s nonfiction picture book, then learn more at the websites:
THE MOON TONIGHT: OUR MOON’S JOURNEY AROUND EARTH written by Jung Chang-hoon and illustrated by Jang Ho tracks the moon in the night sky through its four phases: crescent, quarter, full, and new. This beautifully illustrated picture book combines space science with the experiences of a child enjoying the night sky and outdoor activities. The book concludes with additional facts. ARC courtesy of Blue Dot Kids Press, an imprint of Ingram Publisher Services.
MOON PHASES from TimeAndDate provides local information about moon phases.
To visit the website, go to https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/.
MOON IN MOTION from NASA explains the positions of the Moon and the Sun. The project includes both still images and an interactive to demonstrate the moon phases.
To visit the web page, go to https://moon.nasa.gov/moon-in-motion/moon-phases/.
MOON PHASES from Crash Course is a short video discussing the names and causes of the Moon’s phases.
To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/AQ5vty8f9Xc.
