Moon

MOON

Diana’s Bows - 2013

Panorama of all 12 evening crescent Moons approximately 10% illuminated and aged about 3 days - See last paragraph of article below.

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - Bright Full Moon - 2013 MAY 24-25

Preview of the Moon grazing wispy edge of Earth’s penumbra at mid-eclipse while projected against fictional blue wall - Virtually no diminished brilliance for 2013’s brightest Full Moon

Full Moons - 2013-14

Panorama illustrating the geocentric declination, distance, angular diameter and relative brightness of 15 Full Moons

Cycle of Lunar Phases

Simplified diagram not to true scale illustrating how the shape of the illuminated portion of the Moon’s apparent disk changes as our natural satellite orbits the Earth

Full Moon Rising over Chicago - 2013

Rising time, illumination, brightness, azimuth and diameter of Full Moon calculated for Adler Planetarium observers, but good for all Chicagolanders each lunar month

Mean Lunar Orbit

Diagram depicting the true scale of the lunar orbit at a mean eccentricity of 0.055 and a mean ellipticity of 1.0015 drawn relative to the center of a fixed Earth

Monthly Lunar Calendar

Daily lunar phases, eclipses, planetary events and meteor showers

A Great Computer Desktop Background Wallpaper!

Path of the Moon - 2013 May

Chart of the Moon’s monthly path indicating dates for phases, conjunctions and other key relationships

Lunar Occultations of Planets and Stars

Graze maps, preview graphics, data and Besselian elements for upcoming occultations (coverings) of planets and stars by the Moon

Moon Photos

Landscape photos taken from Arlington Heights, Illinois by Curt Renz featuring the Moon usually during twilight while amid clouds or other foreground objects

Path of the Moon - 2013 April

Chart of the Moon’s monthly path indicating dates for phases, conjunctions and other key relationships

New Moon Spotting - 2013 MAY 10

Preview of the western sky from Chicagoland with the Moon near Venus at 25 minutes after sunset - See article below.

New Moon Spotting - 2013 MAY 11

Preview of the western sky from Chicagoland with the Moon, Jupiter & Venus at 40 minutes after sunset - See article below.

Diana’s Bow - 2013 MAY 12

Preview of the western sky with from Chicagoland with the Moon aged 3 days near Jupiter at 60 minutes after sunset - See article below.

MAY NEW MOON SPOTTING

It’s a challenge every month to spot the New Moon by naked-eye as early as possible. I use the term New Moon in its traditional sense of one’s first sighting of the Moon after its monthly solar conjunction (Dark Moon). The Dark Moon (which some call New Moon) will be in geocentric longitudinal conjunction with the Sun on 2013 MAY 10 at 00:28 UT (09 at 19:28 CDT).

We will still be fairly near the time of the vernal equinox, thus making the early spotting of a New Moon relatively easy for northern hemisphere observers due to the large angle at which the ecliptic strikes the horizon at sunset. Although this effect will be diminished a bit due to the Moon being somewhat south of the ecliptic.

Also above is a link to a panorama including each Diana’s Bow in 2013. That’s a waxing crescent Moon about 10% illuminated and aged about three days. The name is a reference to the archery equipment of the ancient Roman Goddess of Hunting and the Moon. The graphic nicely illustrates how the season of the year affects the viewing of a waxing crescent Moon.