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Lunar Phases

In astronomy, a phase of the Moon is any of the aspects or appearances presented by the Moon as seen from Earth, determined by the portion of the Moon that is visibly illuminated by the Sun. The lunar phases vary cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the relative positions of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Since the Moon appears bright only due to the Sun's reflected light, only the half of the Moon facing the Sun is illuminated.

The lunar phase depends on the Moon's position in orbit around the Earth, and the Earth's position in orbit around the sun. This diagram looks down on Earth from the north. Earth's rotation and the Moon's orbit are both counter-clockwise here. From this diagram, we can see, for example, that the full moon will always rise at sunset, and that the waning crescent moon is high overhead around 9:00 AM local time.
Lunar phases are the result of our seeing the illuminated half of the Moon at different angles. The Moon exhibits different......


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