There are 8 main Moon phases in each lunar cycle.

Quick Scoop: How Many Moon Phases Are There?

Astronomers usually talk about eight phases as the Moon orbits Earth, repeating roughly every 29.5 days.

The 8 Moon Phases in Order

These are the commonly recognized phases you’ll see in guides and calendars:

  1. New Moon
  2. Waxing Crescent
  3. First Quarter
  4. Waxing Gibbous
  5. Full Moon
  6. Waning Gibbous
  7. Last (Third) Quarter
  8. Waning Crescent

During this cycle, half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun, but we see different portions of that lit half from Earth, which creates the changing shapes in the sky.

Primary vs. Intermediate Phases

Many sources also group these into:

  • Four primary phases: New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Third/Last Quarter.
  • Four intermediate phases: Waxing Crescent, Waxing Gibbous, Waning Gibbous, Waning Crescent.

So if you’re wondering “how many moon phases are there?” for basic astronomy or schoolwork, the standard answer is: 8 phases in the lunar cycle.

i Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.