Jul 20, 2016
More information from the astrosociety.org web site on viewing the moon shows us some fun activities and a chart to let us know when we can actually view the different phases of the moon.
Activity Corner
How Soon Can You See a Crescent Moon?
An interesting activity is to see what the youngest crescent Moon is that you can see. Some very experienced observers are able to see the Moon less than 24 hours after it's new. How well can you do?
When is the Moon Visible?
It is often surprising to youngsters that the Moon sometimes can bee seen in the daytime sky. Just when the Moon rises and sets depends primarily on its phase, and only at full Moon does it behave as some might expect — that is, to rise at around sunset and be up all night long.
Keeping track of the visibility of the Moon as it cycles through its phases can be a fascinating (and instructive) thing to do. Moon-tracking activities could follow a wealth of different paths — from precise timing of moonrise and moonset to a more general noting of where the Moon is (and what phase it's in) each time you see it.
To help you devise a program of Moon-viewing, the accompanying table charts the times when the Moon rises, sets and so on during its different phases. We should note that the times in the table are very general (correct to within an hour or two). The precise times of moonrise, moonset, and so on depends on a number of factors besides the Moons phase — your location on Earth (latitude and longitude) has a major effect, for example. (Exact local times of moonrise and moonset are often printed in large daily newspapers, usually in the weather section.)
Notice that knowing when the Moon rises and sets in its various phases allows you to tell time (roughly) whenever it is visible! For example, if you're awakened in the night on a camping trip and you notice a third quarter moon high in the Eastern sky, then you know that sunrise is coming son. On the other hand, a full moon high in the sky would reassure you that you have plenty of time for more sleep--the full moon is highest around midnight.
Lunar Eclipses
Observing a lunar eclipse (which — because it can be seen over a much wider area — is much more easily seen than a solar eclipse) is a sage and enjoyable family activity. Upcoming eclipses are listed in astronomy magazines such as Sky & Telescope and Astronomy, as well as in the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar that comes with membership in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. No special precautions need to be taken in viewing such an eclipse, and it's fun to organize family, friends, and neighbors when you know such an eclipse is coming.
MOON PHASES AND TIME OF DAY
Phase Rises In Eastern Highest in In Western Sets
Sky Sky Sky
New [~sunrise] [morning] [noon] [afternoon] [~sunset]
Waxing [just after [morning] [just after [afternoon] just after
Crescent sunrise] noon] sunset
First ~noon afternoon ~sunset night (PM) ~midnight
Quarter
Waxing afternoon ~sunset night (PM) ~midnight night (AM)
Gibbous
Full ~sunset night (PM) ~midnight night (am) ~sunrise
Waning night (PM) ~midnight night (am) ~sunrise morning
Gibbous
Third ~midnight night (AM) ~sunrise morning noon
Quarter
Waning just before [morning] [just before [afternoon] [just before
Crescent sunrise noon] sunset]
Times in brackets [ ] indicate that the Moon can't be seen because it's too close to the Sun in the sky.
Image: Moon phases chart - clipartpanda.com
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