When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, how is it most likely seen? A) New Moon B) Full Moon C) Half Moon D) Quarter Moon

A) New Moon

When the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, this phase is called a New Moon. During the New Moon phase, the side of the Moon that is illuminated by the Sun faces away from the Earth, which means we cannot see the illuminated part. As a result, the Moon is essentially invisible to us on Earth. A New Moon is the beginning of the lunar cycle when the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth.

The lunar cycle consists of several distinct phases, each of which occurs as the Moon orbits the Earth approximately every 29.5 days. The major phases of the Moon include the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. Between these major phases, there are additional intermediate phases known as the waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, and waning crescent. 'Waxing' means that more of the Moon's surface is getting illuminated each night, and 'waning' means less is illuminated each night. During the Full Moon, the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun, so the entire side of the Moon facing the Earth is illuminated, and we see a full disk. The terms "Half Moon" and "Quarter Moon" can sometimes cause confusion. A "Half Moon" can refer to the First or Last Quarter phases, where half of the Moon's disk is illuminated. However, the "Quarter Moon" specifically refers to the Moon being at a quarter of its way through its orbit around Earth, corresponding to the First or Last Quarter phases.