What Are the Moon Phases in Order?
The moon phases in order are first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent, new and waxing crescent. There are a total of eight lunar phases.
The cycle can be started from any point, such as the new moon or full moon, because the starting point is a matter of preference and because no one actually knows which lunar phase came first. The first quarter moon looks, from Earth, like the right side of a circle that has been sliced in half. The waxing gibbous is a bit larger, and the full moon appears as a full circle. The next phases are each smaller until the new moon is reached, which is not visible at all. After the new moon, the phases begin to grow larger.
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