Crescent Moon, Waxing

A waxing crescent moon, the phase between new moon and first quarter when less than half the visible disk is illuminated.

Visual Description

The waxing crescent moon appeared in the evening western sky as a beautiful thin arc of light. The illuminated portion showed a smooth, bright curve with the terminator (day-night line) clearly visible. Earthshine was also visible on the dark portion, giving the entire lunar disk a subtle presence against the darkening sky.

Notable Features

• Thin crescent shape, illuminated on right side (western limb)
• Bright, smooth curve with sharp terminator
• Earthshine visible on dark portion
• Visible in evening western sky after sunset
• Increasing illumination each night

Notes

• Occurs 1-7 days after new moon
• Illumination increases from 0% to 50% during this phase
• “Waxing” means growing or increasing
• Best observed shortly after sunset
• Excellent for seeing earthshine