John Griffiths Astro Pages

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The Moon

Apr 2010

What’s happening

in the sky

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The Moon

2010

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Lunar Calendar

 

Apr 2010

 

06   Last Quarter

14   New Moon

21   First Quarter

28   Full Moon

 

 

Apogee is on 9th Apr (405,000km)

Perigee is on 24th Apr (367,144km)

A few days after New Moon (14th Apr) the Moon will be visible in the evening sky just after sunset as a thin crescent, getting further from the Sun every day as the phase increases. This is the best period of the month for general observing as the skies will remain fairly dark. If you look carefully at the portion of the Moon’s disc that is not lit, you will see that it’s brighter than the surrounding sky. This is because it is being illuminated by reflected light from the Earth—a phenomenon known as Earthshine. Last Quarter is on the 6th Apr and so it will rise around midnight. Any observations need to be at a late hour – BUT alternatively you should be able to see it in the morning sky.

 

Image:   Total Lunar Eclipse  by John Griffiths in Andalucía, Southern  Spain on 21 Feb 2008

              Approximate times of Moonrise and Moonset

 

Phase

Moonrise

      Moonset

New

dawn

       sunset

First Quarter

noon

       midnight

Full

sunset

       dawn

Last Quarter

midnight

       noon

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Last updated Mar 30, 2010