MOON Phases 2022- Northern Hemisphere 4k

1.New Moon: The Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, so the side facing Earth is not illuminated. The Moon appears as a dark circle in the sky.

2.Waxing Crescent: A small sliver of the Moon becomes visible as it starts to move away from the Sun. The illuminated portion is gradually increasing.

3.First Quarter (Half Moon): Half of the Moon's face is visible from Earth, resembling a half-circle. This phase occurs when the Moon has completed approximately one-quarter of its orbit around the Earth.

4.Waxing Gibbous: More than half of the Moon's face is visible, and it continues to grow more illuminated as it progresses toward the Full Moon.

5.Full Moon: The entire face of the Moon is visible from Earth because it is positioned opposite the Sun. It appears as a complete circle and is fully illuminated.

6.Waning Gibbous: The illuminated portion of the Moon starts to decrease after the Full Moon, and it appears as more than half but less than fully illuminated.

7.Last Quarter (Half Moon): Similar to the First Quarter, half of the Moon's face is visible, but the opposite side is illuminated. This phase occurs when the Moon has completed about three-quarters of its orbit.

8.Waning Crescent: The illuminated portion continues to decrease, and only a small sliver of the Moon is visible before it returns to the New Moon phase.

These phases are a result of the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, and they repeat in a regular cycle that takes about 29.5 days to complete, known as the lunar month or synodic month. The changing appearance of the Moon's phases is a fascinating astronomical phenomenon that has been observed and studied for centuries.