The Phases of the Moon
The Moon does not radiate its own light, but the Moon's surface reflects the Sun’s rays
Half of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated by sunlight. However, just how much of that light we can see from our point of view on Earth varies every day and this is what we refer to as a Moon phase.
In Western Culture, we divide the lunar month into four primary and four intermediate Moon phases. Technically, the primary Moon phases occur at a specific moment in time, and the intermediate Moon phases take up the time in between. New Moon is the first primary phase and it occurs the moment when the Sun and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the Moon.
A New Moon cannot normally be seen from Earth since only the dark side of the Moon faces our planet at this point. Sometimes, if the New Moon is close to the Lunar nodes of its path, it can cause a Solar Eclipse. The greatest difference between high and low tide, also known as spring tides, takes place around New Moon and Full Moon.
