The moon was almost exactly at last quarter when Jenney Disimon in Sabah, North Borneo captured this photo.
A last quarter moon looks half-illuminated. It rises around midnight, appears at its highest in the sky at dawn, and sets around noon. Fun time to see a last quarter moon: just after it rises, shortly after midnight. Then the lighted portion points downward, to the sun below your feet. Great time to think of yourself in the three-dimensional world of outer space!
Next last quarter moon will come on March 20, 2017 at 15:58 UTC. (Translate to your time zone here). That’s the day of the 2017 vernal equinox.
Last quarter moon comes about three weeks after the previous new moon and about a week before the next new moon. New moon will come on March 28, 2017 at 02:57 UTC; translate to your time zone.
At the last quarter phase, as seen from above, the moon in its orbit around Earth is at right angles to a line between the Earth and sun. The moon is now three-quarters of the way around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.
After the last quarter phase, the moon begins edging noticeably closer to the sun again on the sky’s dome. Fewer people notice the moon during the day from about last quarter on, because the sun’s glare begins to drown the moon from view.
A last quarter moon can be used as a guidepost to Earth’s direction of motion in orbit around the sun. In other words, when you look at a last quarter moon high in the predawn sky, you’re gazing out approximately along the path of Earth’s orbit, in a forward direction. The moon is moving in orbit around the sun with the Earth. But, if we could somehow anchor the moon in space . . . tie it down, keep it still . . . Earth’s orbital speed of 18 miles per second would carry us across the space between us and the moon in only a few hours.
All you need to know: 2017 March equinox
Can you see that the terminator line – or line between light and dark on the moon in this image – is slightly concave? That’s because this image was taken shortly after the moon reached the last quarter phase. Photo by our friend Jörgen Norrland Andersson.
As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow these links to understand the various phases of the moon.
Four keys to understanding moon phases
Where’s the moon? Waxing crescent
Where’s the moon? First quarter
Where’s the moon? Waxing gibbous
What’s special about a full moon?
Where’s the moon? Waning gibbous
Where’s the moon? Last quarter
Where’s the moon? Waning crescent
Where’s the moon? New phase
Moon in 2017: Phases, cycles, eclipses, supermoons and more
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1m8DkdY
The moon was almost exactly at last quarter when Jenney Disimon in Sabah, North Borneo captured this photo.
A last quarter moon looks half-illuminated. It rises around midnight, appears at its highest in the sky at dawn, and sets around noon. Fun time to see a last quarter moon: just after it rises, shortly after midnight. Then the lighted portion points downward, to the sun below your feet. Great time to think of yourself in the three-dimensional world of outer space!
Next last quarter moon will come on March 20, 2017 at 15:58 UTC. (Translate to your time zone here). That’s the day of the 2017 vernal equinox.
Last quarter moon comes about three weeks after the previous new moon and about a week before the next new moon. New moon will come on March 28, 2017 at 02:57 UTC; translate to your time zone.
At the last quarter phase, as seen from above, the moon in its orbit around Earth is at right angles to a line between the Earth and sun. The moon is now three-quarters of the way around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next.
After the last quarter phase, the moon begins edging noticeably closer to the sun again on the sky’s dome. Fewer people notice the moon during the day from about last quarter on, because the sun’s glare begins to drown the moon from view.
A last quarter moon can be used as a guidepost to Earth’s direction of motion in orbit around the sun. In other words, when you look at a last quarter moon high in the predawn sky, you’re gazing out approximately along the path of Earth’s orbit, in a forward direction. The moon is moving in orbit around the sun with the Earth. But, if we could somehow anchor the moon in space . . . tie it down, keep it still . . . Earth’s orbital speed of 18 miles per second would carry us across the space between us and the moon in only a few hours.
All you need to know: 2017 March equinox
Can you see that the terminator line – or line between light and dark on the moon in this image – is slightly concave? That’s because this image was taken shortly after the moon reached the last quarter phase. Photo by our friend Jörgen Norrland Andersson.
As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow these links to understand the various phases of the moon.
Four keys to understanding moon phases
Where’s the moon? Waxing crescent
Where’s the moon? First quarter
Where’s the moon? Waxing gibbous
What’s special about a full moon?
Where’s the moon? Waning gibbous
Where’s the moon? Last quarter
Where’s the moon? Waning crescent
Where’s the moon? New phase
Moon in 2017: Phases, cycles, eclipses, supermoons and more
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1m8DkdY
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