2006-10-06 05:11:21 · 3 answers · asked by Roy M 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Waxing means "growing". It's from the practice of making candles by dipping them into hot wax, letting them cool, and dipping them again - the candle grows layer by layer.
A waxing gibbous moon appears to get bigger and bigger each night as it goes through its phases. It's not the size of the Moon that's changing, of course, just more and more of the near side is being lit up by the Sun.
2006-10-06 05:41:10 · answer #1 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A waxing gibbous moon is what we've got now. The week before and the week after a full moon are gibbous. The week before is waxing to full, the week after is waning.
"Gibbus" in latin means "hunchback", and the gibbous moon sort of looks hunchbacked.
Mercury and Venus also have gibbous phases, where they are around their orbits on the other side of the sun, but not directly behind the sun.
2006-10-06 05:31:05 · answer #2 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Waxing means "growing" and is the opposite of "waning". A gibbous moon is one that is between a half moon and a full moon. So a waxing gibbous moon is one that is past half full and it approaching full.
2006-10-06 05:24:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋