The moon appears odd... the faze looks like a smile, instead of a crescent... why?

Question

I dont understand why it appear the moon doesn't appear normal.

Answer 1

if you are near the equator and the moon is low in the sky the crescent appears at the bottom of the moon (in the proper phase).

Answer 2

You should always bear in mind where the sun is, relative to the Moon. A new moon must have the sun westward of the Moon. That means that the first time you see a new Moon is usually right after sunset, with the Moon close to the horizon. Since the sun is directly below the Moon when you see it, the crescent will look horizontal.

But, that's because to see the Moon near the horizon, you must look East or West, while you would usually look Southward when the Moon is high in the sky. So, if you look southward and see the new Moon in your peripheral view, it'll look as you think it should.

Answer 3

The cheshire cat is an interesting analogy. There is a certain moon called a cheshire moon, when the crescent appears to be perfectly level with the horizon. This type of moon occurs when the moon's orbital geometry is in the right place so that it is at the same azimuth as the already-set sun when it nears the horizon.

Answer 4

I had always thought that the crescent moon looks like the Chesire Cat's smile!