Every now and then I like to guide us across the sky
by following the Moon, and I’ll include a little bit of terminology along the
way.
When the Moon is the same direction in the sky as the
Sun, we call it a “New Moon,” which is also when the lunar month begins. The New Moon was on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Starting now, look for a thin “Crescent Moon” very low
in the southwest just after sunset, and in the same general direction. For a few days, you may be able to make out
the full disk of the Moon because of so-called “Earthshine,” which is sunlight
reflected off Earth back onto the Moon.
This is only visible for the first few days after a New Moon, until the
crescent becomes too bright.
When the lighted part of the Moon is getting bigger,
we call it a “Waxing Moon,” so this is a “Waxing Crescent.”
Phases & Motions of the Moon
Early in the evening of Friday, Oct. 16, the Crescent Moon will be in the constellation Sagittarius. See if you can make out the figure of a teapot, tipped slightly to the right. If you have a dark enough sky, you can see the Milky Way, which looks like steam coming out of its spout, with Moon just a bit to the left. The next night, the Moon will be just to the left of the handle of the teapot.
The Moon will be at “First Quarter” on Sunday, Oct.
18. First Quarter means half lighted,
and it is the First Quarter as the Moon is a quarter of the way through its
orbit of Earth, its lunar month.
Now, since the lighted part is more than half the
Moon, we call it a “Gibbous Moon”, and since the lighted portion is growing, it
is a “Waxing Gibbous Moon.”
On Monday, Oct, 19, the Moon will be in the middle of
a big smile shape in the sky – that’s Capricornus.
Tuesday, Oct 21, you will find the Moon in
Aquarius. It’s not as distinct as the
big smile, but I identify if by the little zigzag of stars above the Moon.
Part of constellation Pisces is a dim circlet of
stars, from which a line of stars drops to the lower left, and then up to the
outside of the Great Square of Pegasus, which is unmistakable. The Moon will be to the lower right of the
circlet on Oct. 22 and to the lower left on Oct 23.
October 23, a bright Moon will be to the upper right
of Saturn – the only bright star in that area.
October 24, Sunday, is the Full Moon, meaning fully
lighted because it is in the opposite direction in the sky from the Sun, and so
is getting full sunshine. See if you can
make out a little curve of stars curling up to the left above the Moon – that’s
Ares.
In the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 27, you will notice
that the lighted portion of the Moon is now becoming less each night. We would then call this a “Waning Gibbous
Moon.” If you have a pair of binoculars,
look just to the right of Moon and you may see a pretty little grouping of
stars – the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters.
Below the Moon you will see the shape of an arrowhead pointing
right. That’s part of the constellation
Taurus, the Bull.
As of Wednesday, you can also start looking the Moon
during the day. It sets around 10:30 in
the west, and sets about an hour later every day, so you can see it higher in
the sky.
If you are up late enough on Halloween, or up before
the dawn the next morning, look for the Moon in the constellation Gemini, the
Twins. The Twins are laying on the
sides, with their heads to the left and the bodies and legs to the right.
October 31 will Moon will be at Third Quarter,
half-lighted.
If you are up early in the morning on Monday, Nov. 2,
look for the Moon in the south. The
bright planet to the left is Jupiter, and you might be able to make out a
reddish planet to the Moon’s upper right – that’s Mars. The Moon is between Leo on the left – the
backward question mark represents his head – and Cancer on the right, an
inverted Y of not very bright stars.
Now, the Moon returns to being a crescent, which is
diminishing in size… so, yes, a “Waning Crescent.” Again, if you are up just before the Sun, you
can again look for Earthshine.
Finally, if you are up really early, around 6:30 a.m.,
very low in the southeast you might see bright Venus with a very thin Crescent
Moon just below it.
The next New Moon is on November 8.
Clear skies.
David
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