The Moon reaches the point in its orbit that lies between Earth and the Sun. What phase do people on Earth see that night?

Earth lies directly between the Sun and the Moon, with the Moon on the night side of Earth. What phase do observers on Earth see?

One week after new moon the Moon has traveled a quarter of the way around Earth, and an observer can see exactly half of its lit side. Name the phase.

A Moon that sits halfway between the full moon and the next new moon shows exactly half of its lit side to Earth. What phase is this?

Three nights after new moon, only a thin curved sliver of the Moon's lit half can be seen low in the west after sunset. What phase is this?

Two nights before the Moon becomes full, an observer sees much more than half of its lit side, but not all of it. What phase is this?

Two nights after the Moon was full, more than half of its lit side is still visible, and the lit part is getting smaller. Name the phase.

Just before sunrise, a few days before the next new moon, a thin sliver of the Moon's lit half is visible in the east. What phase is this?

In a classroom model a lamp is the Sun and a girl's head is Earth. She holds a ball at arm's length on the side directly opposite the lamp. Which phase does the ball show her?

Using the same lamp-and-ball model, the girl raises the ball so that it sits between her head and the lamp. Which phase does the ball show her?

The Moon takes about 29.5 days to go from one new moon to the next. About how many days after a new moon does the third quarter phase come?

At first quarter, half of the Moon's disk looks lit from Earth. Why is this phase called a quarter?

An observer sees the Moon rising in the east at the same time the Sun is setting in the west. Which phase is the Moon most likely in?

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. During which phase can a lunar eclipse happen?

In the monthly cycle of phases, which phase comes right after the new moon?

A class saw a first quarter Moon tonight. Which phase will come next as the cycle goes on?

Between the full moon and the third quarter, what phase does an observer on Earth see?

A student lists the phases as new moon, first quarter, full moon, a missing phase, then waning crescent. Which phase belongs in the gap?

Starting at new moon, which order follows the real monthly cycle of the Moon?

Put these four phases in the order they appear between one new moon and the following full moon: waxing gibbous, first quarter, full moon, waxing crescent.

A class records the Moon every night from one new moon until the next new moon. About how long does that take?

About how long does the Moon take to go from a new moon to the next full moon?

Tonight the Moon is a waxing crescent. Which phase will an observer most likely see about one week later?

From Earth, people always see the same side of the Moon, no matter what phase it is in.

On Monday a boy sees a narrow lit sliver of the Moon. By Thursday the lit part is clearly wider. What is happening?

A girl records the Moon on five nights in a row and the lit area is smaller every night. Which word describes what the Moon is doing?

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere watches a waxing Moon. Which side of the Moon's disk is the lit part on?

After a full moon, an observer notes the time the Moon rises each night. How does the moonrise time change from one night to the next?

A student's log reads: Night 1, half the disk lit; Night 4, much more than half lit; Night 7, the whole disk lit. What was the Moon doing that week?

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere looks at a third quarter Moon. Which half of the Moon's disk is lit?

The Moon takes about one week to change from a full moon to a third quarter Moon.

As the Moon travels from new moon toward full moon, is the lit part we see growing or shrinking?

A student explains the Moon's monthly phases by saying that Earth's shadow falls on the Moon a little more each night. Why is that explanation wrong?

On the same night, people in different countries all see the Moon in the same phase.

The Moon's phases repeat about once a month. What is actually changing over that time?

A student claims that one half of the Moon never receives any sunlight at all. What is the correction?

Half of the Moon's surface is in sunlight at any moment, no matter which phase we happen to see from Earth.

Where does the light we see coming from a bright full moon come from?

On a crescent Moon, most of the round disk looks dark to an observer. Why is that part dark?

At new moon an observer on Earth can see almost nothing of the Moon. What is the reason?