Describe what causes the phases of the moon to change each month.

Question: Describe what causes the phases of the moon to change each month.

The phases of the moon change each month due to its orbit around Earth and the relative positions of the moon, Earth, and the sun. As the moon orbits, different portions of its surface are illuminated by the sun, creating the phases we see.

New Moon: The moon is between Earth and the sun, and its illuminated side faces away from us.

Waxing Crescent: A sliver of the moon’s surface becomes visible as it starts to move away from the sun.

First Quarter: Half of the moon's surface is illuminated and visible from Earth.

Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the moon is illuminated and visible.

Full Moon: The entire face of the moon is illuminated, as it is opposite the sun from Earth.

Waning Gibbous: The illumination decreases, but more than half is still visible.

Last Quarter: Again, half of the moon's surface is illuminated, but the opposite half from the first quarter.

Waning Crescent: Only a small sliver of the moon’s surface is visible as it moves back towards the sun.

This cycle repeats roughly every 29.5 days, giving us the beautiful changing phases of the moon. 

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