Jakarta –
For those of you who like to observe the moon at night, perhaps it is no longer strange to see the shape of the moon always changing. Sometimes it is full moon shaped, semicircular shaped, and crescent shaped. This happens because the moon has a main phase and an additional phase.
The main moon phases include new moon, half full moon, full moon, and late half moon. Combined, the moon has a total of 8 phases before it can finally return to its initial phase. So, on this occasion, detikEdu will focus on discussing the crescent moon phase.
What do you think the crescent moon is? What is the shape and appearance of the crescent moon? Then what is the movement of the crescent moon? To know the answer, see the explanation below.
What is a Crescent Moon?
Quoted in a book entitled Integrated Thematic Book (2021), the crescent moon is a lunar phase that occurs approximately 2 to 3 days after the new moon phase. A crescent moon is a term for a moon that has a very small shape similar to a curved line.
In Arabic, the crescent moon is called Hilal. This crescent moon marks the arrival of the beginning of the month. In the crescent phase, the moon begins to become visible. We can see the side of the moon that is exposed to sunlight creating a crescent-like shape.
Due to the appearance of this moon it is called a crescent moon. The crescent moon usually appears on the 1st of every month. The crescent moon will appear from the earth to resemble the letter U or C.
According to NASA, a U-shaped crescent moon is seen more often than a C-shaped crescent moon, this depends on the latitude at which the observer is located.
The Process of the Crescent Moon
The crescent moon appears at the beginning of the month. The emergence of this phase is marked after the new moon appears, which cannot always be seen by the naked eye. The shape of the crescent moon also experiences enlargement over time and is marked by the new moon phase.
The crescent moon appears in a thread-like shape in the western sky. Every day it will get bigger and its appearance will be increasingly towards the east. The new moon is considered a very easy month and is still faint to be seen directly with the naked eye.
Why does it look vague? This is because there is not much or little sunlight hitting the moon. As time goes by, a lot of sunlight will shine on the moon.
This makes the curved edges visible to the human eye. The sun will shine more and more light on the moon as the moon continues to move. In this phase, the moon will form a perfect crescent.
The Shape and Appearance of the Crescent Moon
Quoted on the official website of The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the shape of the crescent moon occurs in two phases, namely the initial waxing crescent phase and the final crescent phase (waning crescent). The following is the explanation:
1. Fase Bulan Sabit Muda (Waxing Crescent)
Quoted on the EarthSky page, the day after the new moon appears, a waxing crescent moon will appear. This crescent moon appears in the west shortly after sunset. Some people who see this might think that they are seeing the moon rising, even though the moon is setting.
This is because the earth rotates under the sky, so that all celestial bodies rise from the east and set in the west. In the waxing crescent phase, less than half of the moon is reflected by sunlight.
The young crescent moon phase generally occurs on the fourth day when the moon is at 45 degrees. When viewed from the earth, the moon will form a curve like a crescent.
2. Old Crescent Moon Phase (Waning Crescent)
Quoted on the Time and Date page, during the old crescent moon phase, the part of the moon that is luminous will decrease by around 0.1% from 49.9%. This phase can last from the time the moon is at a quarter of the lunar circle, until it disappears from sight when it enters the new moon phase.
The waning crescent phase is the last phase of the moon. This phase makes a small part of the moon visible on earth. The crescent moon phase usually occurs on the twenty-fifth day.
Occurs when the moon is at a position of 315 degrees. In the old crescent moon phase, the moon has a crescent shape, before finally returning to its initial shape or phase, namely the new moon or new moon phase.
That’s what detikEdu can say about the crescent moon. Hopefully useful!
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2023-11-19 00:15:22
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