Phases of the Moon

New moon. It begins in the dark — a moon you can't see at all. It sits between the Earth and the Sun, with its lit face turned away from us.

Waxing crescent. A few nights later, a bright sliver returns — a thin curve of light low in the west, just after sunset.

First quarter. Now half the face is lit and half is in shadow. The moon is a quarter of the way through its month-long journey.

Waxing gibbous. Fuller every night now, swelling toward round — more than half, but not quite whole.

Full moon. The whole face, lit — a full moon rising as the sun sets and riding high at midnight.

Waning crescent. Then it thins away, night by night, back to a sliver — and soon to dark, ready to begin the whole trip again.