Final answer:
False. A New Moon rises at sunrise and sets at sunset, making it impossible for it to cross the meridian at midnight. The full moon is the phase that is typically highest in the sky around midnight and could cross the meridian.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a New Moon will cross the meridian at midnight is false. When the moon is new, it is in the same part of the sky as the Sun, which means it rises at sunrise and sets at sunset. Since a new moon's illuminated side is facing away from Earth, it is generally not visible in the night sky. Therefore, the moon would not be above the horizon at midnight to cross the meridian.
The phase where the moon would be closest to crossing the meridian at midnight would actually be a full moon, which is when the Earth is between the sun and the moon. During this phase, the completely illuminated side of the moon is facing Earth, making it fully visible. As the full moon essentially mirrors the position of the sun, it tends to rise at or around sunset and reach its highest point in the sky around midnight.