Questions: A friend comments to you that there was a beautiful, thin sliver of a Moon visible in the early morning just before sunrise. Which phase of the Moon would this be, and in what direction would you look to see the moon?

A friend comments to you that there was a beautiful, thin sliver of a Moon visible in the early morning just before sunrise. Which phase of the Moon would this be, and in what direction would you look to see the moon?

Transcript text: A friend comments to you that there was a beautiful, thin sliver of a Moon visible in the early morning just before sunrise. Which phase of the Moon would this be, and in what direction would you look to see the moon?

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Understanding Moon Phases

The Moon goes through several phases in its cycle, including New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter (3rd Quarter), and Waning Crescent. A "thin sliver" of the Moon is typically associated with the crescent phases.

Step 2: Identifying the Phase

A "thin sliver of a Moon visible in the early morning just before sunrise" suggests that the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase. This is because the Waning Crescent is the phase just before the New Moon, and it is visible in the early morning sky.

Step 3: Determining the Direction

During the Waning Crescent phase, the Moon is visible in the eastern sky just before sunrise. This is because the Moon is moving closer to the Sun in the sky as it approaches the New Moon phase.