The Moon Phases Calendar and Calculator template is available online to print. Printing the template two-sided on heavy paper or cardstock is recommended.

To the casual observer, the moon may be only an occasional highlight in the night sky. But there are some surprising facts behind the moon's phases.

The phases of the moon — new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter — repeat themselves about once every month. But why does the moon have phases at all?

As the moon, Earth, and the sun go through their orbital dance, the part of the moon that’s illuminated by the sun moves in and out of our view, creating a predictable series of moon phases.