The low autumn evening crescent


Tonight – October 26, 2017 – the moon is a fat waxing crescent in the evening sky, as seen from around the globe. From northerly latitudes at nightfall, in the coming evenings, you’ll see the moon riding low in the sky, beneath the famous Summer Triangle asterism. Meanwhile, south of the equator, the moon appears high in the sky and above the “upside-down” Summer Triangle.

For all of us, around the globe, first quarter moon will come on October 27 at 22:22 UTC (6:22 p.m. EDT, 5:22 p.m. CDT, 4:22 p.m. MDT or 3:22 p.m. PDT; translate UTC to your time zone). Diana from Potsdam, New York, noticed an interesting phenomenon that occurs with the first quarter moon every autumn. She asked:

Why are the evening crescent and the first quarter moon always so low in the autumn evening sky?

This moon phase is low in the evening sky in autumn for all of Earth. The reason is that the ecliptic, or pathway of the moon and planets, appears low in the sky on autumn evenings.

Of course, autumn comes at different times of year for different hemispheres. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere now, then take everything we’ve just said and apply it to your autumn moons in the months of March and April! And know that – instead of riding low in the sky – your springtime autumn crescent moon rides high in the sky. Where it’s spring, the ecliptic swings high overhead. In springtime, from either hemisphere, the evening crescent moon travels almost straight up from the sunset point from day to day, and the first quarter moon shines close to overhead at dusk and nightfall.

Time of moonset in your sky

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Many people have commented on the loveliness of the waxing moon this week. Kym Baldwin of Blue Lake Photography wrote on October 25, 2017: “Clear night last night and the moon was waxing poetic 20.3%. Just had to set up and capture her!”

Bottom line: This week’s crescent moon is waxing toward first quarter phase on October 27, 2017. This post talks about why the first quarter moon in October appears low in the autumn sky, and high in the spring sky.



from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LZZtsP

Tonight – October 26, 2017 – the moon is a fat waxing crescent in the evening sky, as seen from around the globe. From northerly latitudes at nightfall, in the coming evenings, you’ll see the moon riding low in the sky, beneath the famous Summer Triangle asterism. Meanwhile, south of the equator, the moon appears high in the sky and above the “upside-down” Summer Triangle.

For all of us, around the globe, first quarter moon will come on October 27 at 22:22 UTC (6:22 p.m. EDT, 5:22 p.m. CDT, 4:22 p.m. MDT or 3:22 p.m. PDT; translate UTC to your time zone). Diana from Potsdam, New York, noticed an interesting phenomenon that occurs with the first quarter moon every autumn. She asked:

Why are the evening crescent and the first quarter moon always so low in the autumn evening sky?

This moon phase is low in the evening sky in autumn for all of Earth. The reason is that the ecliptic, or pathway of the moon and planets, appears low in the sky on autumn evenings.

Of course, autumn comes at different times of year for different hemispheres. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere now, then take everything we’ve just said and apply it to your autumn moons in the months of March and April! And know that – instead of riding low in the sky – your springtime autumn crescent moon rides high in the sky. Where it’s spring, the ecliptic swings high overhead. In springtime, from either hemisphere, the evening crescent moon travels almost straight up from the sunset point from day to day, and the first quarter moon shines close to overhead at dusk and nightfall.

Time of moonset in your sky

EarthSky’s 2018 lunar calendars are here! Get them for 25% OFF this week.

Many people have commented on the loveliness of the waxing moon this week. Kym Baldwin of Blue Lake Photography wrote on October 25, 2017: “Clear night last night and the moon was waxing poetic 20.3%. Just had to set up and capture her!”

Bottom line: This week’s crescent moon is waxing toward first quarter phase on October 27, 2017. This post talks about why the first quarter moon in October appears low in the autumn sky, and high in the spring sky.



from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LZZtsP

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