During which phase does a New Moon occur in relation to Earth and the Sun?

A New Moon occurs when the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun. During this phase, the illuminated side of the Moon faces away from Earth, making it essentially invisible to us from our perspective on the planet. This alignment is critical because it is during this phase that the Moon does not reflect sunlight towards Earth, resulting in the absence of visible light.

In contrast, the other options describe different configurations of the Earth, Moon, and Sun that do not correspond to the New Moon phase. For instance, having the Earth between the Sun and the Moon would describe a Full Moon, and the Moon being at its farthest point from Earth pertains to its apogee, which does not specifically relate to the phases of the Moon. Lastly, when the Earth is on the opposite side of the Sun from the Moon, it again refers to the Full Moon rather than the New Moon. Understanding these positions helps clarify the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun during the lunar phases.