Phases of the
Moon
Start
Sun
Earth
Moon
Full Moon
Gibbous
Half Moon
Crescent
New Moon
Crescent
Half Moon
Gibbous
Next
{{!moonCtrl.playpause ? "Play" : "Pause"}}
One full rotation of the
on its axis causes day to be light and night to be dark.
It takes the
one year to orbit the
. The tilt of the
's
axis causes seasons. The
orbits the
every 28 days. We see the
because light from the
reflects off it into our eyes.
Sun
Earth
Moon
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Phases of the Moon
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Help

The phase of the Moon changes from one day to the next. Imagine viewing the Moon from Earth at each phase.

  • Click Play to start the animation of the Sun, Earth and Moon.
  • Click Pause to see how the Moon’s appearance changes as it orbits the Earth.
  • When you understand the phases of the Moon, click Next.
  • Complete the sentences by dragging the correct icons into the gaps. Then check your answer.
If you are unsure, click Go back to have another look at the animation.