The phases of the moon can be seen anywhere in the world. It's one of the only constants in the lives of each human on the planet. It's also one of the most fascinating things that we can see in the night sky, and it's important to know why its phases are actually used in our daily lives. The tides all over the world are effected by the moon as well as the winds that encompass the globe.

The moon has acted as a calendar as well as a light source for us for centuries. There are several phases of the moon, and they usually last for a total of 4 weeks for the entire cycle. This helps us keep track of the time, and the cycle usually lasts one month long.

1. New Moon - this phase occurs when the moon cannot be seen in the sky. The moon is actually in the way of being seen by the sunlight. It's unformed or "new".

2. Waning Crescent -a slim crescent of the moon is seen.

3. Third Quarter - ½ of the moon can be seen, almost as a semi-circle.

4. Waning Gibbous - ¾ of the moon can be seen.

5. Full moon - You can see a full circle in the sky

The cycle retreats in opposite order. This part of the phases is called "waxing".

6. Waxing gibbous - ¾ of the moon can be seen

7. First quarter - ½ of the moon can be seen

8. Waxing Crescent - ¼ of the moon can be seen.

This cycle repeats over again every 4 weeks.

The writer is a contributor for Resin Chaise Lounges and Inflatable Pool Floats, and compares dozens of online stores http://www.inflatablepoolfloats.org/.