Final answer:
Moon phases indicate when the moon will be highest in the sky. Waxing crescent is visible in the afternoon, the first quarter moon is overhead at sunset, the third quarter moon rises at midnight and highest at sunrise.
Step-by-step explanation:
Moon phases correspond with certain times at which the moon is highest overhead. Here’s the correct match for each:
- Afternoon - waxing crescent
- Sunset - first quarter
- Sunrise - third quarter (as it sets around noon)
- Morning - waning crescent (as it rises after the third quarter phase)
- Noon - new moon
- Evening - waxing gibbous (as it appears after the first quarter and is heading towards a full moon)
- Midnight - full moon
- Early morning - waning gibbous
During the waxing crescent phase, the moon is visible in the afternoon sky. The first quarter moon is directly overhead at sunset and sets around midnight. The third quarter moon rises at midnight and is highest overhead at sunrise, when it sets. The waning crescent follows the third quarter phase, so you can see it in the early morning sky before it sets. A new moon is difficult to see as it is between Earth and the Sun and typically overhead around noon. The waxing gibbous phase occurs in the evening as it progresses towards the full moon. In the full moon phase, the completely illuminated moon is visible around midnight as it rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Lastly, the waning gibbous phase occurs in the early morning, after the full moon phase, as the moon starts to move back towards the new moon phase.