Lunar Cycle

The lunar cycle, or lunar month, is the time it takes for the Moon to complete a full sequence of phases—from new moon to full moon and back—lasting about 29.5 days. This cycle occurs as the Moon orbits Earth, and the Sun illuminates it differently from our perspective. The phases include new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. These changes are caused by the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, creating the familiar pattern of the Moon's appearance over approximately a month.