8th Grade Sun-Earth-Moon System (C20) Practice Test 2026 - Free Astronomy Practice Questions and Study Guide

As the Moon orbits Earth, the portion that is illuminated by the Sun and visible from us changes, so the visible phase grows from nothing at New Moon to a small crescent and then more. The very next phase you see after New Moon is a Waxing Crescent—a thin sliver of light that appears on the Moon’s edge and gradually grows as more of the sunlit side becomes visible. A week or so later, the Moon reaches First Quarter when about half of its near side is lit, then continues to Full Moon, and later Last Quarter. Waxing Crescent is the correct phase that comes first after New Moon.