Moon phases for kids worksheets.

Moon phases refer to the changing appearance of the Moon in the night sky as it orbits the Earth. These changes are  Moon phases for kids worksheets primarily caused by the relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and the Sun. There are eight distinct phases of the Moon:

New Moon:

The Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, and its illuminated side faces away from Earth. As a result, the Moon appears completely dark and is not visible from Earth.

Waxing Crescent:

A small sliver of the Moon’s illuminated side becomes visible shortly after the new moon. It appears as a thin crescent shape in the western evening sky.

First Quarter:

When half of the Moon’s illuminated side is visible, it is called the first quarter. This phase looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous:

After the first quarter, more than half of the Moon’s illuminated side becomes visible, but it’s not yet a full moon. It continues to grow brighter.

Full Moon:

The entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth, creating a complete circle of light in the night sky. It’s the brightest phase of the Moon.

Waning Gibbous:

Following the full moon, more than half of the Moon’s illuminated side is still visible, but it begins to decrease in size.

Third Quarter:

Similar to the first quarter, half of the Moon’s illuminated side is visible, but it’s the opposite half from the first quarter. It looks like another half-moon, but it’s on the eastern morning sky.

Waning Crescent:

The crescent of the Moon becomes thinner and thinner after the third quarter, eventually fading into a new moon, and the cycle starts again.

These phases are the result of the Moon’s changing position relative to the Earth and the Sun. The angle at which sunlight strikes the Moon’s surface causes different parts of it to be illuminated, leading to these visually distinct phases that we observe from Earth Moon phases for kids worksheets.