When we see a think crescent moon at night how far over the horizon is it observed to be?

Question

When we see a think crescent moon at night how far over the horizon is it observed to be?

Answer 1

Sarge -

Anything up to about 45 degrees above the horizon (ADDED: along the ecliptic that is - the actual height or altitude above the horizon depends on your location on the earth) could probably be classified as a crescent appearance. Beyond that it's closer to a first quarter.

Answer 2

Not far at all. For it to be crescent, it has to be relatively close to the sun in the sky, which means if it's night, and you can see a crescent moon, the sun literally just set, and the moon will be quick to follow.

Answer 3

The Moon is always pretty much the same distance away from us, no matter where it is in the sky. The diameter of the Earth (12,756 km) is very small compared to the diameter of the Moon's orbit (384,400 km).