How Is a Full Moon Created?

A full Moon occurs when the Moon has moved in its orbit so that Earth is “between” the Moon and the Sun. Between the new and full Moon, the amount of Moon we see grows — or waxes from its right side toward its left side.

How does a half moon occur?

The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a "half moon"), happen when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow. ... After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases.

When and how do we get a full moon?

When the moon has moved 180 degrees from its new moon position, the sun, Earth and the moon form a line. The moon's disk is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun, so this is called full moon.