In technical charting, what three-candlestick sequence constitutes a 'Morning Star' versus an 'Evening Star' pattern?

[ A ]Morning Star (Bullish bottom reversal): tall red candle -> small-bodied star candle capturing market indecision -> tall green candle confirming reversal; Evening Star (Bearish top reversal): tall green candle -> small-bodied star candle -> tall red candle closing deeply into the first candle's body.[ CORRECT ]

[ B ]Morning Star occurs only at 9:15 AM, while Evening Star occurs only at 3:30 PM on trading days.

[ C ]Both patterns consist of 100 identical micro-bars with zero price variation.

[ D ]Morning Star is a corporate debt restructuring tool, while Evening Star is a dividend tax exemption certificate.

Takeaway

Option A is correct: Morning Star (Bullish bottom reversal): tall red candle -> small-bodied star candle capturing market indecision -> tall green candle confirming reversal; Evening Star (Bearish top reversal): tall green candle -> small-bodied star candle -> tall red candle closing deeply into the first candle's body.

Derivation

Morning Star and Evening Star are powerful three-candlestick structural reversal patterns: (1) Morning Star (Bullish Reversal): Formed after a downtrend. Bar 1 is a long red bearish candle; Bar 2 is a small-bodied star (red or green) with long wicks representing exhaustion of selling momentum and market indecision; Bar 3 is a large green candle that opens higher and closes deeply into the body of Bar 1, confirming that buyers have gained dominance. (2) Evening Star (Bearish Reversal): Formed after an uptrend. Bar 1 is a tall green candle; Bar 2 is a small-bodied star at the peak; Bar 3 is a large red candle closing deeply into Bar 1's body, confirming a bearish reversal. This tests 3-candle patterns. The common trap is mistaking the time of day for the candlestick pattern name.

Why the others fail

B — Morning Star occurs only at 9:15 AM, while Evening Star occurs only at 3:30 PM on trading days.

Morning and Evening Stars are structural daily/weekly chart formations named after astronomical metaphors, not intraday clock times.

C — Both patterns consist of 100 identical micro-bars with zero price variation.

Both formations are specific, highly structured 3-candlestick patterns with distinct relative body and shadow proportions.

D — Morning Star is a corporate debt restructuring tool, while Evening Star is a dividend tax exemption certificate.

These are technical chart pattern formations, completely distinct from corporate debt restructurings or tax certificates.