Why does the moon go through phases?
The lunar phases, or the phases of the moon, can be observed with the naked eye throughout the course of each month. Sunlight is the cause of the changes in the lunar cycle.Lunar CycleEach lunar cycle lasts about four weeks, or 28 days, and there are eight phases during the cycle. The phases represent the appearance of the moon and are called the new moon, the waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent.IdentificationEach phase of the moon can be identified by its shape in the sky, which ranges from a crescent, or thumbnail shape, to the full, circular moon.SignificanceThe portion of the moon that is visible is dictated by the moon’s relative position between Earth and the sun. Crescent, quarter and gibbous moons are all partially hidden from the sun’s light by Earth, which creates their curved shapes.CauseThe lunar cycle is directly caused by the relationship of the moon’s position between the sun and Earth as it orbits t
