Hello! I am the Moon. The same moon you get to glance up at every night. Do you notice how sometimes I don't look the same. That's completely normal! I go through phases which change my shape. Let's learn about them so you can better understand me!

Here are some of my different phases. I change shape as I move around Earth. Sometimes Earth blocks me from the sun, which casts a shadow on me. That's why I change shape and go through phases!

The first phase is called a New Moon. This is when I'm completely hidden, since I'm in between the Earth and sun, so no sunlight is shining on me. But don't worry! You'll see me again soon!

Before moving onto the next phases, let's talk about two important words: Waxing and Waning.

Waning means the left side of me is lit up. 

Waxing means the right side of me is lit up. 

Alright, now that your prepared, let's move onto the next phases!

Here I am in my Waxing Crescent phase. This is when only a tiny bit of me is lit up by the sun. Doesn't it look like I'm smiling? :)

This phase is called a First Quarter phase, and I'm completely cut down the middle. My right side is lit and my left side is dark. This phase is one of my favorites!

Fun Fact! The line down my middle that splits the dark and light sides of me is called the Terminator!