After the moon has passed the first quarter and before it is full more than half of the side turned toward the earth is illuminated and it is in the "gibbous" phase. It is still the western limb that is fully illuminated. The moon is now east of the meridian at sunset and it crosses the meridian before midnight and sets before sunrise. All who are abroad during the first half of the night find this phase of the moon more favorable to them than the gibbous phase following full moon.