Final answer:
The correct answer is D: The Moon is closer to Full Moon than to New Moon, and more than half of the visible face of the Moon is illuminated. Gibbous refers to the phase after the first quarter and before the full moon, where the Moon is waxing and more than half of it is illuminated as observed from Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we observe a gibbous Moon, it means that we are seeing more than half of the Moon's illuminated side but less than a full Moon. These conditions apply after the Moon has passed the first quarter phase and are moving towards a full Moon, and before it reaches the third quarter phase after the full Moon. Therefore, the correct option is D: The Moon is closer to Full Moon than to New Moon, and more than half of the visible face of the Moon is illuminated. During this gibbous phase, the Moon appears to grow larger in the sky (when it is waxing) as it progresses each night after the first quarter until it becomes a full Moon, at which point it rises at sunset and sets at sunrise, being visible throughout the night.