Question

For this concept sketch I'd like you to sketch, label, and describe the 8 main phases of the Moon. For each moon phase you must illustrate what the moon looks like from Earth and also its position relative to the Earth and Sun. Also show which Moon phase occurs during a lunar eclipse and during a solar eclipse, and explain why those eclipses occur at those times.

Answer 1

There are eight main phases of the moon as we see from the earth. These phases are the result of the rotation of the moon around our planet. At the first stage, when the moon remains in between the earth and the sun, we can only see the darker portion of the moon, as that is the side facing the earth at the moment. This phase is called new moon. This is the phase when only occasionally solar eclipse can occur. On those special occasions, moon come in the same line with the earth and the sun and covers the sun entirely. This does not happen frequently because the orbital plane of the moon is different from the earth's orbital plane.

After this phase moon goes through gradual incremental growth of the lighted side and then reaches the full moon stage. Where we face the sun light side of the moon. This is the phase when lunar eclipses occur but very occasionally. At these special times, earth's shadow cast over the moon making it invisible to us.

This cyclicity of the eight basic phases goes on every 15 day interval for half of the cycle.

First Quarter Waxing crescent Waxing gibbous Sunlight Earth Full Moon Salsk New Moon Sunlight Waning Waning crescent Gibbous Last Quarter