To start off, I am going to be focusing on our own Earth’s Moon. As we all know, the Moon goes through phases as it orbits the planet. It’s current phase is dependent on where it is in the sky relative to the Sun. For example, the New Moon rises and sets with the Sun and is in the same direction as the Sun. This is why the sunlight is at the back of the Moon and there is no light to illuminate the front face of the Moon. Okay, using the word Moon so much makes it feel like it’s not a real word anymore, so from now on I will be calling the Moon “Steve.” So, as we move through the months, Steve will change positions relative to the Sun. When the Sun is across from him, his face will be fully illuminated and we will have a Full Moon. Between these two phases of fullness and newness, Steve will cycle through many different phases. These are called waxing, meaning increasing, as more of his face becomes illuminated by the Sun’s light and waning, meaning decreasing, and more of his face becomes shadowed. Steve also appears at different times during the day depending on what phase he is in. For example, because Steve must be opposite of the Sun to be fully illuminated, he must rise above the horizon and into view while the Sun is setting on the opposite horizon. So, as the Sun sets in the West, Steve rises in the East. Another example of this is that when Steve’s face is in its ”Third Quarter” phase, then he would need to rise over the horizon and into view around midnight and set around noon of the next day. This is why we can see the Moon during the day sometimes!
I would like to leave you with this fun fact! Most people believe that the side of the Moon that is always facing away from the Earth is the “Dark Side,” but this is not true. The other side of the Moon actually goes through phases as well, we just can’t see them because the Moon rotates completely on a rate that roughly equals one month. This is why we always see the same face of the Moon facing toward us. Think of it like this: Steve wants to keep his eyes on us, so we never see the back of his head!
