Phases of the Moon and Eclipses 229 



FIG. 139. The old moon in the new moon's arms. 



light, the moon looks like a circle or globe. If half of 

 the illuminated portion is turned from you, the remainder 

 looks like a semicircle. If most of the illuminated por- 

 tion is turned from you, the remainder looks like a cres- 

 cent. Will this be the case when the moon and sun are 

 in nearly the same direction from you or in opposite 

 directions? Remember that the sun is always much 

 farther away than the moon. 



If you see the full moon in the evening, in which direc- 

 tion is it? Why? Do you* ever see it in the morning? 

 These are important questions. 



The old moon in the new moon's arms.. When the 

 moon appears as a bright crescent, you can sometimes 

 dimly see the outline of the entire circle. This is called 

 " the old moon in the new moon's arms." The part 

 that is dim is getting light from the earth. Otherwise 

 you would not see it at all. This light has come from the 

 sun -to the earth, .from the earth to the moon, and then 

 back to your eyes. 



When the moon appears to us as a crescent, the earth, 

 seen from the moon, would appear to be in what phase ? 



