Last revised: 2026-10-18
13 · Lunar phases (modern names)
| English | 中文 | Gloss | Termonline |
|---|---|---|---|
| new moon | New moonCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The modern name for shuo: the moment when sun and moon share the same celestial longitude and the moon’s face is turned from us. See Shuo. | — |
| waxing crescent | Waxing crescentCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The crescent first caught in the western sky after new moon, shaped like an eyebrow, visible after sunset. | TermonlineAstronomy · 2013 |
| first quarter | First quarterCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The modern name for the first quarter: the moon stands ninety degrees east of the sun, culminates at sunset, and its western half is lit. | near: 上弦Astronomy · Celestial Mechanics |
| waxing gibbous | Waxing gibbousCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The phase between first quarter and full moon, when more than half the disc is lit and it grows rounder night by night. | TermonlineAstronomy · Celestial Mechanics · 2024 |
| full moon | Full moonCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The modern name for wang: sun and moon stand 180 degrees apart in longitude, the moon rising at sunset and setting at sunrise. See Wang. | — |
| waning gibbous | Waning gibbousCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The phase between full moon and last quarter, when more than half the disc is lit and it wanes night by night. | TermonlineAstronomy · Celestial Mechanics · 2024 |
| last quarter | Last quarterCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The modern name for the last quarter: the moon stands ninety degrees west of the sun, culminates at sunrise, and its eastern half is lit. | — |
| waning crescent | Waning crescentCelestial phenomena · lunar phases | The crescent between last quarter and new moon, caught in the east before dawn. | TermonlineAstronomy · 2013 |
| moon’s age | 月龄Celestial phenomena · lunar phases | The number of days elapsed since new moon, counted from zero on the day of shuo; the almanac page here gives it alongside the phase. | TermonlineAstronomy · Celestial Mechanics · 2024 |
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