this ques. is related to the crescent shape of the moon...plz help?
551537
The line that connects the two points of the crescent Moon is always almost at right angles to the path of the Moon along the sky. If the Moon goes up almost straight from the horizon (as it does when seen from the equator), then the crescent appears horizontal. If the Moon rises at a shallow angle (as seen far from the equator), then it moves as well along the horizon towards the west, and then the crescent is mostly vertical. The Moon rises almost vertically as seen from the equator because the orbit of the Moon stands approximately above the equator.
715750
Distance to the Moon\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n     \n An Astronomy Tid-Bit about the mean and extreme distances to the Moon\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n     \n   Note:  Distance is from center to center of orbiting bodies.\n             Kilometers divided by 1.6093 = miles.       \n\n      Many sources, such as beginning astronomy textbooks, yearbooks, and atlases, give the distance to the moon as 384,400 kilometers (km), and  0.055 as the flattening or eccentricity of the moon's elliptical orbit around the Earth.\n\n      The moon travels around Earth in an elliptical orbit, with the Earth at one of the two focuses (foci) of the ellipse.  As a result the distance to the moon varies by quite large amounts.  Its close (or perigee) distance is 384,400 x (1- 0.055) = 363,258 km.  Its far (or apogee) distance is 384,400 x (1+0.055) = 405,542 km.  BUT these values turn out to be the mean or average values.  See the table below for actual distances.\n\n      The actual (computed) distances over 10 centuries, from  1500 to 2500, have been calculated by the Belgian astronomer, Jean Meeus, to be as small as 356,371 km or as large as 406,720 km./1 These values differ from the MEAN values by 6,887 km and 1,178 km respectively\n\n      An excellent and easy-to-use source for the moon's position and distance is "Multiyear Interactive Computer Almanac" produced by the US Naval Observatory, Wash. DC and published by Willman-Bell, Inc., PO box 35025, Richmond, VA  232235.  The program called "MICA15" is on one CDRom for both IBM and MAC systems.  Included with the disk is an information and instruction book.\n\n      I used MICA15 to scan moon distances for the one  year, 2000, shown in TABLE 1.  The same source was used for the ten-year period, 1995 to 2005.  For this ten years,  the smallest distance (356,613.970 km) between Earth and Moon for this period occurred on November 4, 1998.  The largest occurred on March 14, 2002 when the moon was 406,706.975 km away.
708252
If you watch a lunar eclipse, you can see the Moon entering the shadow of the Earth, which is a circle on the sky.  If they could figure out the phases of the Moon and the reason for it, they could figure out that the Earth was round.
21430
The theories presented so far have been pretty much debunked. The following link gives an elaborate explanation of this illusion. But even it fails to explain why we don't see this illusion every time the moon rises. It does not always appear larger at moonrise than when it is higher in the sky. Also, the moon may appear to be different sizes on different nights even in the same location. I'm still looking for a plausable explanation. \n\nhttp://facstaff.uww.edu/mccreadd/
709333
The moon's gravity causes tides, which is not quite the same thing. A "tidal wave," or tsunami, is caused by an earthquake.\nBecause distance is an central factor in gravity, the part of the global ocean that is closest to the moon at any given moment will bulge outward ever so slightly toward the moon. On the opposite side of the earth, the water farthest away from the moon will bulge in the opposite direction, being less influenced by that same gravity. Those two regions will then experience high tide. Halfway between them will be the two areas of low tide.\nAs the earth rotates, each part of the surface eventually passes through each of these gravitational regions, thus experiencing two high tides and two low tides each day.\nThe sun has some influence on tides as well, but its distance from the earth lessens its impact. However, when the sun, moon and earth are in alignment, the combined forces result in unusually high and low tidal patterns.
62845
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Moon is that its phases are caused by the Earth's shadow. The Earth's shadow causes eclipses, but it has nothing to do with phases. Rather, the phases of the Moon are produced by the alignment of the Moon and the Sun in the sky. \nThe orientation of Sun and Moon determines the phase of the Moon. At new moon, the angular distance of the sun and moon is small, less than a few degrees. At first quarter, when the moon is half full, the Moon lies 90 degrees east of the Sun. As an example, if you were to point to the setting sun with one arm and to the moon with the other, the angle between your arms would be 90 degrees. At full, the moon is 180 degrees from the sun and at last quarter, it is 90 degrees west of the sun. \n \n\nThe new moon is essentially invisible because it is between the earth and sun and therefore lost in the glare of the sun. Even on day 2 or 3 it is tough to spot the moon because it is just the tiniest sliver and still very close to the sun. The waxing crescent moon grows till it is about half full in the phase we call first quarter. From there it grows to full moon and then begins to shrink back to third quarter, waning crescent and finally back to new moon. \n\nThe first and last quarter moons mark the halfway points between the new moon and full moon. The first quarter moon is illuminated on the right hand side. The last quarter moon is illuminated on the left hand side. It seems conflicting to call a half full moon first of last quarter, but the quarter refers to the position of the moon in the sky, not it's phase. A quarter moon is one quarter of a full circle (90 degrees) away from the sun. \n\nThe lighted part of the Moon always points the way to the Sun. This means that a waxing crescent moon in the western sky at sunset has the lighted part on the right which is the direction of the Sun. The sequence of the lunar phases always proceeds with the lighted part of the Moon growing from right to left until the moon reaches full. After full moon, the light recedes from right to left until new moon. \n\nThe line boundary between dark and light on the Moon is called the terminator. It is rarely an even line because the surface of the Moon is not smooth. The terminator is closest to a straight line at first and last quarter. Librations affect exactly what portion of the face of the Moon is facing the Earth, during first and last quarter phase, the terminator's exact location may vary. This is illustrated when the terminator does not line up with the Moon's meridian at first and last quarter. In other words, you'd think that during first and last quarter when the Moon is half full, that the meridian (the imaginary line which runs from north to south on the Moon,) would be right on the terminator, but it isn't so. In fact the terminator can be almost 8 degrees off to either side of the meridian.
869305
The appearance of the Moon is also dependent on the fact the the Earth is rotating on its axis. Objects appear at the horizon, drift overhead and slip below the horizon again. that is the main reason the Moon looks as it does.\n\n;-D The Moon is romantic! Let's not forget that!
278423
Crescent in Islam doesnt have the great importance actually ... it means that it is what the islamic calendar is based on (the moon) ... we dont pray for it ... we pray for only one almighty God.\n\n\n\n" Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. Do not prostrate to the sun and the moon, but prostrate to Allah, Who created them, if it is Him ye wish to serve. "\n\nThe Holy Qur'an\n041.037
1039136
Why not a crescent moon? And why don't you read the answers to your other questions instead of spewing out more questions that are thinly disguised rehashes of the same Muslim-bashing rhetoric. Please educate us.....
339322
if any object following a straight or whatever path was to be attracted by some other larger body and put into and orbit then thru mathematical equations the orbit will always be elliptical(considering variable decceleration and velocity) that's why there is a doubt that moon was just a passing object that earth caught up..(coz it's orbit is circular and that it perfectly covers up the sun during eclipses....search for anomalies of the moon on google) so the orbit cannot be circular unless u "put" an object specifically into that shaped path...\n\nregards...\npretty rough explaination ..sorry cud not include the equations :)\n\nvivek
405607
The phases of the moon occur due to its relative position to us and the sun. The sun always shines on half of the moon (except on the rare occassion when the earth is in the way causing a lunar eclipse). If the moon is behind the earth, we see it as a full moon as we can see all of the lit side. When the moon is beside the earth, we see half the lit side and half the side in shadow, which appears to us as a half moon. When it's in front of the earth its a new moon which isn't visible as we can only see the side of the moon in shadow. In between the stages we see the crescent waxing and waning moons.
803851
see this link:\n\nen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crescent
136889
Its an illusion.  Its because the moon is closer to objects to which you can compare it.
229761
First, one can't see the entire Moon from Earth; only one side of the Moon faces the Earth directly, this is the near side of the Moon. The far side of the Moon (sometimes innacurately called the dark side of the Moon) always faces away. this behavior is due to tidal lock: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_lock .\nSecondly, one may not see the near side of the Moon due to atmospheric phenomena. This is trivial.\nThirdly, one may not see the entire near side of the Moon due to the orientation of the Sun with respect to the Moon. The Sun may be shining on some other side of the Moon with respect to our viewing angle on Earth and thus we only see a fraction of the near side lit up by sunlight. To see this graphically, look at the diagram of Moon phases on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phases_of_the_moon .\nFinally, one may not see the Moon due to a lunar or solar eclipse. This is caused by the Earth's shadow falling on the Moon in the first case and by the Moon blocking the sunlight from falling on the Earth in your region in the second case. These both occur when the Moon, Earth and Sun are approximately in a line. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipses for diagrams.\nAlso, the Moon may not be visible because it simply has not risen yet. ;)
511350
An ignorant answer from our friend swag 2d. \n\nThe crescent moon isn't "used" for anything, but has become a symbol of the Muslim faith.  Interestingly, the moon and star came long before the very notion of Islam and probably dates back to pagan times.  The city of Byzantium (once Constantinople and now Istanbul) adopted the crescent moon as a symbol of the city.  During the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottomans adopted (as they did for a great deal of their culture) this symbol as the symbol of the Muslim faith.\n\nHope this helps.
1144467
On new moon day, the moon and sun are in the same direction from earth.\n\nThe non illuminated portion of the moon is turned toward us. In the bright background of light we are not able to see the moon.\n\nSince the earth rotates about its axis, this new moon is for all in the world.  \nThe sun and moon rises in the east and sets in the west almost with no time difference.\nTherefore the moon is in the sky during day time, even though we are not able to see it.\n\nIn each day, the moon separates from the sun approximately by 12 degree.\n\nAfter one or two days latter, the moon is separated from the sun towards east. Therefore, we see the moon (crescent moon) after sun set for few hours in the west or in the   evening. All persons in the world will view the crescent moon when it is evening for them.\n\nApproximately after seven days, the moon separates from the sun through 90 degree. \n When the sun comes to the zenith, the moon rises in the east. The moon appears as a half moon in the east. For the viewers it is a day time. We see the half moon from the afternoon of this day till mid night in the sky. At mid night it sets in the West. \n When the sun sets in the west the moon is seen in the zenith. All people in the world will see the half moon from mid day to mid night.\n\n\nAfter approximately fifteen days, the moon is separated from the sun through 180 degree. When the sun sets in the west moon rises in the west. We call this as full moon. Through out the night the full moon will be visible and during day time it will not be visible. This is the same for all people in the world. \n\nOne can complete this cycle from Full moon to new moon (in another 15 days).
1040803
Explain how a 600 yard wide rock could cause the 2,160 mile wide Moon to wobble, without touching it? It'd be like throwing a golf ball at a bus and expecting it to tip it over....\n\nIt doesn't matter what the moon does as far as wobbling and spinning, it's gravity isnt affected (unless it breaks up) and therefore the end result means zip to us. We may just get to see the far side!