Ravi said, "I saw a crescent Moon, and it was rising in the East, when the Sun was setting." Kaushalya said, "Once I saw the gibbous Moon during the afternoon in the East." Who out of the two is telling the truth?
Kaushalya is telling the truth.
A crescent Moon at sunset would be setting in the West (not rising in the East) because a waxing crescent is visible in the western sky after sunset.
However, a gibbous Moon can indeed be seen during the afternoon in the eastern sky because the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, and sometimes moonrise occurs in the afternoon (around 2:00–4:00 p.m.), making the Moon visible in daylight.
Explanation
The chapter explains that 'Sometimes moonrise happens in the afternoon (around 2:00–4:00 p.m.), so you can spot the Moon in the eastern sky during daylight.' This supports Kaushalya's observation. For Ravi's statement: a waxing crescent Moon follows the Sun and would be visible in the western sky after sunset, not rising in the East. The chapter also states that 'the Moon's crescent always faces towards the Sun,' which helps determine the correct position.
Solution Steps
Kaushalya is telling the truth.
A crescent Moon at sunset would be setting in the West, not rising in the East.
A waxing crescent is visible in the western sky after sunset.
A gibbous Moon can be seen during the afternoon in the eastern sky.
The Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day.
Moonrise can occur in the afternoon (around 2:00–4:00 p.m.), making the Moon visible in daylight.