Question

How many phases of the moon are there?

Answer 1

There are eight phases of the moon: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.

Answer 2

There are eight phases of the moon. The phases of the moon result from the changing alignment of the earth, moon, and sun. As the moon orbits the earth, we see different portions of the illuminated side of the moon, resulting in different phases. The eight phases of the moon, in order, are:

1. New Moon

2. Waxing Crescent

3. First Quarter

4. Waxing Gibbous

5. Full Moon

6. Waning Gibbous

7. Third Quarter

8. Waning Crescent

These eight phases constitute a complete lunar cycle, which takes approximately 29.5 days to complete.