Weather Words: Waxing Moon

A waxing moon is when the illuminated portion of the moon that we see from Earth is growing larger each night.

After the new moon, when the moon is invisible or nearly invisible in the night sky, the waxing phase begins. Each evening, the sunlight reflected from the moon appears to increase, shifting from a thin crescent low on the horizon to a bright, nearly full disk.

The waxing moon is often divided into two main phases: the waxing crescent and the waxing gibbous. The waxing crescent is that slender arc of light that gradually thickens, while the waxing gibbous describes the moon as it swells beyond half but hasn’t quite reached full. The cycle takes about two weeks from new moon to full moon.

Today, stargazers see it as a reliable rhythm in the night sky, and a reminder that the moon is always in motion. If you have clear skies at night, make sure you look up and marvel at the moon.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.