Although half of the moon is always illuminated, usually only a portion of the illuminated side is visible from Earth. The diagram below presents the relative positions of Earth, the sun, and the moon. The positions of the moon are labeled 1-8. Which of the moons in the figure are in a crescent phase?
o 2 and 4
o 2 and 8
o 4 and 6
o 6 and 8
To determine which moons are in a crescent phase, we need to consider their positions relative to the Earth and the Sun. A crescent phase occurs when only a small portion of the illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth.
Looking at the diagram, we can see that positions 2, 4, 6, and 8 are all potential candidates for a crescent phase because they are located on the left side of the moon. However, we also need to consider the position of the sun.
If we look at positions 2 and 4, we can see that the sun is to the right of the diagram. This means that these positions would not result in a crescent phase because the illuminated side of the moon would not be visible from Earth.
Looking at positions 6 and 8, we can see that the sun is to the left of the diagram. These positions would result in a crescent phase because only a small portion of the illuminated side of the moon would be visible from Earth.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
o 6 and 8