Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The last quarter moon is one of the eight distinct phases the Moon goes through as it orbits Earth. This phase occurs when the Moon is at a right angle with respect to the Sun, as viewed from Earth. During the last quarter, half of the Moon appears illuminated, but it is the opposite side compared to the first quarter phase. This marks a period where the visible illuminated portion of the Moon begins to decrease, leading towards the new moon phase, completing the lunar cycle.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.