MTTC Secondary Integrated Science Practice Test 2026 – The All-in-One Guide to Ace Your Michigan Teacher Certification!

The phase that follows the new moon is the first quarter. During the lunar cycle, after the new moon phase, the moon begins to wax, meaning it is increasing in visibility. The first quarter occurs approximately one week after the new moon and is characterized by half of the moon being illuminated as viewed from Earth. This illuminated half is the right side in the Northern Hemisphere.

At this stage, the moon has completed about a quarter of its orbit around Earth and moves toward the waxing gibbous phase, where more than half of the moon will be illuminated. This understanding of the lunar phases is essential for grasping how the moon's position relative to the Earth and the sun changes throughout its cycle. It's important to understand these sequences to predict the moon's appearance in the night sky accurately.