Image: NASA/Bill DunfordPhases of the Moon
See how the phases of Earth's moon work, from the full moon
to the new moon and everything in between. The moon is illuminated by light
from the sun, what we see from Earth is the sun rays' reflection on the lunar surface. As the moon
moves around Earth, the amount of illumination it receives from the sun
changes, creating the lunar phases. The moon completes a single lunar cycle in
about 29 days.
Image: NASA/Bill Dunford
Image: NASA/Bill Dunford