Crescent moon: Learn how the Moon 's

Learn how the Moon 's shape changes each night as it orbits Earth and reflects the Sun's light. See the eight Moon phases, from new to full, and find out when to see a crescent moon . A crescent Moon over Kingman, Arizona Each of the four intermediate phases lasts approximately seven days (7.38 days on average), but varies ±11.25% due to lunar apogee and perigee. The number of days counted from the time of the new moon is the Moon 's "age". Each complete cycle of phases is called a "lunation". [9] The approximate age of the Moon , and hence the approximate phase, can be calculated for any date by calculating the number of days since a known new moon (such as 1 January 1900 ... A crescent shape (/ ˈkrɛsənt /, UK also / ˈkrɛzənt /) [1] is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the " sickle moon "), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. The Moon phases start with the invisible New Moon , while the first visible phase is the thin sliver of a Waxing Crescent Moon . Around a week later, half of the Moon ’s visible surface is illuminated, while the other half is in darkness at First Quarter Moon . The illuminated part continues to grow into a Waxing Gibbous Moon , until 14 to 15 days into the cycle, we see the entire face of the Moon lit up at Full Moon . The illuminated part then gradually shrinks into a Waning Gibbous Moon , and ...