The Phases of The Moon

Phases of the Moon

The Moon’s phases are produced by the alignment of the Moon and the Sun in the sky (when viewed from Earth), as shown in the following diagram.

The phases of the moon and other planets are caused by the alignment of the moon or planet in the sky when viewed from Earth. When the Moon is in position 1, it is hidden by the glare of the Sun and is not visible at all. This is called a New Moon. At position 5, the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, and appears as a Full Moon.