When the Moon is at new phase

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Think about what the new Moon phase means in terms of illumination and our viewing geometry.
Option 1: "it appears totally dark in the sky." During the new Moon, the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, so the side facing Earth is not illuminated by sunlight. From our perspective, the Moon appears dark, which matches this option perfectly.
Option 2: "it appears half illuminated in the sky." A half-illuminated appearance corresponds to the first or last quarter phases, when half of the Moon’s near side is lit by the Sun. This does not describe the new Moon.
Option 3: "it appears fully illuminated in the sky." A fully illuminated Moon occurs during full Moon, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align with the Sun lighting the side facing Earth. This is the opposite of the new Moon situation.
Option 4: "it is 3/4 of the way through its orbit." This describes a position closer to gibbous phases or near the last quarter, not the new Moon at all. The Moon’s orbital fraction alone does not specify the observed illumination; the alignment with the Sun determines whether the near side is lit or dark.
In summary, the defining feature of the new Moon is that the near side is not illuminated from Earth’s perspective, yielding a dark appearance, which aligns with Option 1. The other options describe quarter, full, or near-full illumination phases that contradict the geometry of the new Moon.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Final - 2025 Dec 12

When the Moon is at new phase

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