Waxing crescent moon

Last evening, November 2nd, was the waxing crescent moon--its face turned toward us half illuminated by the sun. It was a cool, damp and misty night down at ground level at about 9:30 pm. In the sky above, the space was clean, crisp and vast.


This moon, although half illuminated from our point of view, is at first quarter. The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a "half moon"), happen when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow. (Source: www.moonconnection.com)