What type of moon would you see 3 days before the new moon?waxing crescentwaning crescent1st quarter3rd quarter

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the moon phases.
2. Determine the phase of the moon 3 days before the new moon.

Relevant Concepts

• The lunar cycle consists of several phases: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
• A new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, making it invisible from Earth.

Analysis and Detail

1. New Moon: The cycle begins with the new moon, which is when the moon is not visible.
2. Phase Progression:
   • 1 day after the new moon: Waxing Crescent (very thin crescent).
   • 2 days after the new moon: More pronounced Waxing Crescent.
   • 3 days after the new moon: Waxing Crescent is still visible but larger than the previous days.

Since the question asks for the phase 3 days before the new moon, we look at the phases just before it:

• 1 day before the new moon: Waning Crescent
• 2 days before the new moon: Still a Waning Crescent, getting closer to invisible
• 3 days before the new moon: Waning Crescent, moving towards the New Moon.

Verify and Summarize

Given that three days before the new moon occurs when the moon is transitioning from a Last Quarter to a New Moon, the moon is in a Waning Crescent phase.

Final Answer

Waning Crescent