The current phase of the Moon

The moon has four basic phases, which are related to its position relative to the sun and Earth: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter.

• New Moon phase - the Moon is in a straight line between the Sun and Earth, which means that its invisible side is illuminated by the Sun, and the visible side is completely darkened.
• First quarter phase - the Moon is halfway between the new and full phase, which means that the visible half of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun, and the invisible half is darkened.
• Full phase - the Moon is in a straight line between the Sun and Earth, which means that its visible side is completely illuminated by the Sun, and the invisible side is completely darkened.
• Last quarter phase - the Moon is halfway between the full and new moon phases, which means that the visible half of the Moon is darkened and the invisible half is illuminated by the Sun.

The phases of the moon are a phenomenon in which the visible part of the moon in the sky changes its shape in a cycle of about 29.5 days. The phases of the moon are the result of its orbital motion around the Earth and its own rotation. Depending on the Moon's position relative to the Sun and Earth, different parts of its surface are illuminated by the Sun, resulting in changes in the Moon's visible shape in the sky. The phases of the Moon can be divided into eight main phases, starting with the new moon, when the Moon is completely invisible, through six successive phases, until the full moon, when the Moon is visible as a circular disk. After the full moon, the Moon moves into successive phases until the new moon again.

Below are the full list Moon phases:

• Lunar phase - The first phase of the lunar cycle; it occurs at the beginning of the Moon's orbit. The Moon is located between the Earth and the Sun, so the side of the Moon in shadow is facing the Earth. It appears completely dark, usually invisible to the naked eye.
• Waxing Crescent - The waxing crescent phase occurs between the new moon and the first quarter. The new moon represents the Moon becoming increasingly illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase, the Moon appears thin, in the shape of a crescent, and then the illuminated area slowly expands until it reaches the first quarter phase.
• First quarter - The third phase of the lunar cycle occurs when the Moon is one-quarter of the way through its orbit. When viewed from Earth, the Moon is positioned at a right angle to the Sun. It appears half illuminated and is visible in the evening sky.
• Waxing Gibbous - The fourth phase of the lunar cycle; it occurs between the first quarter of the Moon and the full moon. The new moon phase represents the Moon that becomes increasingly illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase, the Moon appears to be illuminated about halfway, and then the illuminated area gradually expands until the full moon phase.
• Full Moon - The fifth phase of the lunar cycle occurs when the Moon reaches half of its orbit. The Moon and the Sun are positioned on opposite sides of the Earth, so the entire side of the Moon facing the Earth is illuminated. The Moon appears as a bright, round disk in the night sky and is visible throughout the night.
• Waning Gibbous - The waning phase of the lunar cycle occurs between the full moon and the last quarter of the moon. The waning moon represents the moon that becomes less illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase we see almost a fully illuminated moon disk, and then the illuminated area slowly shrinks until the last quarter phase.
• Last quarter - The seventh phase of the lunar cycle; it occurs when the Moon is three-quarters of the way through its orbit. When viewed from Earth, the Moon is at a right angle to the Sun. It appears half illuminated and is visible in the evening sky.
• Waxing Crescent - The eighth and final phase of the lunar cycle; it occurs between the last quarter and the new moon. The waning crescent phase represents the Moon that is becoming less illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase, we see half of the Moon's disk almost fully illuminated, and then the illuminated area slowly shrinks until the new moon phase.

The phases of the moon have many cultural and symbolic meanings, and are used in navigation and astrology. In addition, the phases of the Moon affect the tides. When the Moon is full or new, so the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned, resulting in stronger tides called full and new tides. When the Moon is in the first or last quarter, i.e. halfway through the cycle, the tides are weaker and called square tides. The phases of the Moon are also used in astronomy, in geological studies of the Moon, and in space research, for example, to plan space missions, when the Moon's phase can affect the effectiveness of such a mission.