The term waxing means the moon’s illuminated area is growing, and gibbous refers to a shape that is more than half lit but not perfectly round.
When the moon is at 96% illumination, it often masquerades as a full moon to the naked eye. However, a tiny sliver of shadow remains visible on one edge. This shadow exists because the Sun, Earth, and Moon have not yet reached perfect 180° alignment. Once that exact alignment occurs, the moon becomes 100% full, which only lasts for a fleeting moment astronomically.




