Draw and Label the Phases of the Moon

All 13 parts on the diagram

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The eight phases 8

New moon The lit side faces away from Earth, so we cannot see it.
Waxing crescent A thin lit sliver that grows each day.
First quarter The Moon is a quarter of the way round its orbit. Half of the side we see is lit.
Waxing gibbous More than half lit and still growing toward full.
Full moon The whole side that faces Earth is lit.
Waning gibbous More than half lit, but the lit part is shrinking.
Last quarter Half of the side we see is lit again. NASA also calls it third quarter.
Waning crescent A thin curve of light, just before the next new moon.

Waxing and waning 2

Waxing moon The lit part grows, from new moon to full moon.
Waning moon The lit part shrinks, from full moon back to new moon.

Sun, Earth and orbit 3

Sunlight The Sun always lights the half of the Moon that faces it.
Earth We watch from here. Each night we see a different part of the Moon’s lit half.
Moon’s orbit The Moon’s path round the Earth. One cycle of phases takes about 29.5 days.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in both of these. (1) NASA Science, Moon Phases, https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moon-phases/ (the eight phases and their order; which part is lit, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere; third quarter as another name for last quarter; the Sun always lights half of the Moon; a cycle of about 29.5 days). (2) Wikipedia, Lunar phase, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_phase (the four principal and four intermediate phases; waxing as thickening from new to full and waning as thinning; the view is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry. Own original drawing; nothing is traced or copied. Licence: own work

How it works

Draw and label the phases of the Moon with this diagram: eight moons in order as they look from the Northern Hemisphere, then the same eight on their orbit round the Earth.

Read the full guide

All phases of the Moon, labeled

In order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent. While the Moon waxes, the lit part grows from the right. While it wanes, the lit part shrinks toward the left. South of the equator the view is reversed.

Why the shape changes

The Sun always lights half of the Moon. In the second view the lit half of every moon faces the Sun. From Earth we see all of that half at full moon, none of it at new moon and part of it in between. The numbers 1 to 8 are the ring numbers of the first view.

In the Northern Hemisphere a moon lit on the right is waxing, and a moon lit on the left is waning.

Questions and answers

What are the 8 phases of the moon in order?

New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter (also called third quarter) and waning crescent. NASA gives the cycle as about 29.5 days.

What do waxing and waning mean?

Waxing means the lit part we see is growing, from new moon to full moon. Waning means it is shrinking, from full moon back to new moon.

Why is it called a first quarter moon when half is lit?

The name counts the orbit, not the shape. NASA explains that the Moon is a quarter of the way through its monthly journey, and that we see half of its lit half.

How do I draw the phases of the moon?

Draw eight circles. Leave the full moon empty and shade the whole new moon. For the waxing phases shade the left side, less each time. For the waning phases shade the right side, more each time.