By: Keaton Linford The moon phases start with the New Moon. The side of the moon that is facing us is not illuminated. A New Moon takes place when its positioned between the earth and the sun (as seen in the picture below). The second phase of the moon is called waxing crescent. When you see the moon in this phase only about 15% is illuminated. This happens because the sunlight is increasing but its not halfway at this point (as seen in picture below). The third phase of the moon is a first quarter moon. When you look at a first quarter moon you see the right side illuminated (50% of the moon). This phase of the moon occurs because it is at a 90 degree angle. The fourth phase of the moon is called waxing gibbous. When you see this phase of the moon you see about 85% of the moon illuminated. The reason why this phase is called the waxing gibbous is because more than 50% of the moon is illuminated. The fifth phase of the moon is called the full moon. The reason it is called a full moon is because the whole moon is illuminated by the sun. This occurs when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in approximate alignment. The sixth phase of the moon is called the waning gibbous. This phase occurs when about 85% of the moon is illuminated after the full moon. The reason this phase occurs is because the light continuously decreases after a full moon. The seventh phase of the moon is called a third quarter moon. The third quarter moon is the opposite of a first quarter moon (the left is illuminated not the right). This phase occurs when the moon is at a 90 degree angle. The eighth and final phase of the moon is called a waning crescent. The reason it is called a waning crescent is that it leads you back to a new moon. It occurs when the new moon is almost here.