There are eight phases of the Moon in a lunar cycle. These phases are:
- New Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- First Quarter
- Waxing Gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning Gibbous
- Third (or Last) Quarter
- Waning Crescent
These include four primary phases (New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter) and four intermediate phases (waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, waning crescent)
. The cycle from one New Moon to the next lasts about 29.5 days, during which the visible illuminated portion of the Moon changes due to its orbit around Earth relative to the Sun
