The phases of the Moon are created by the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. As the Moon orbits around the Earth, different portions of its illuminated surface become visible from our perspective on Earth. This is because the Moon does not emit light of its own, but rather reflects sunlight. When the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, with the illuminated side facing away from us, we observe the New Moon phase. As the Moon continues its orbit, we gradually see more of the illuminated side, leading to the Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, and eventually the Full Moon phases. After the Full Moon, the Moon starts to move away from the Sun in its orbit, causing the illuminated portion to gradually decrease, resulting in the Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, Waning Crescent, and finally back to the New Moon phase. These phases occur in a predictable pattern due to the combined gravitational forces of the Earth and Sun on the Moon, causing it to move in a specific path and orientation.