June Moon has been very beautiful. From the New Moon, waxing to the half moon and finally the Full moon 2 weeks from this photo on the 7th.
Waxing means that it is getting bigger. Gibbous refers to the shape, which is less than the full circle of a Full Moon, but larger than the semicircle shape of the Moon at Third Quarter. With some exceptions, the Waxing Gibbous Moon rises during the day, after noon. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/waxing-gibbous.html
50.1% to 99.9% Illuminated
Just after the First Quarter Moon, when we can see exactly half of the face of the Moon illuminated, the intermediate phase called Waxing Gibbous Moon starts.
Waxing means that it is getting bigger. Gibbous refers to the shape, which is less than the full circle of a Full Moon, but larger than the semicircle shape of the Moon at Third Quarter. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/waxing-gibbous.html
With some exceptions, the Waxing Gibbous Moon rises during the day, after noon. It is usually visible in the evening and sets after midnight.
During this period, the lit up portion of the Moon increases from 50.1% to 99.9%.
Technically, this phase lasts until the moment of Full Moon. However, it can be difficult to differentiate the last stage of a Waxing Gibbous Moon from a Full Moon when as much as 98% to 99% of the Moon’s surface is illuminated.
When you see the photos of the moon, you see that the size appears to change, increase or decrease, quite quickly. Each day the moon is different . It also changes in position. When I take the photo in the evening at moonrise in the NE right now in winter, the shadow is on the opposite side. Makes it difficult when I am trying to find a moon and the shadow appears to be on the opposite side making me wonder if the photo is of a waxing or a waning moon.
This is a 2 week series….7 June to 18 June. We divide the lunar month into 4 primary and 4 intermediate Moon phases.
The Moon phases start with the invisible New Moon. The first visible Moon phase is the thin sliver of a Waxing Crescent Moon. Around a week later, half of the Moon’s surface is illuminated at First Quarter Moon.
The illuminated part continues to grow into a Waxing Gibbous Moon, until 14 to 15 days into the cycle, we see the entire face of the Moon lit up at Full Moon. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/waxing-gibbous.html
At Full Moon, the entire face of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun’s rays and it can be bright enough to light up otherwise dark nights.
Technically, this primary Moon phase only lasts a moment, the instant when the Sun and the Moon are aligned on opposite sides of Earth
However, the Moon can appear to be full a day before or after while more than 98% of the Moon’s disc is illuminated.
It appears that inadvertently I have actually caught the full moon at its peak time so I am really thrilled. The full Moon of June is known as the Strawberry Moon . June’s Full Moon is named after the wild strawberries that start to ripen during this month. According to some sources, a European name for this early summer month was Rose Moon, and another was Hot Moon, for the beginning of the summer heat in Europe. In Australia, this is also the strawberry season and the Australian Moon is also the Strawberry Moon this year. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/strawberry.html