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John Griffiths Astro Pages |
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The Moon Dec 2008 |
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Lunar Calendar
Dec 2008 05 First Quarter 12 Full Moon 19 Last Quarter 27 New Moon
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Dec 2008 Observing tips . A few days after New Moon (27 Nov) 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 phase for viewing the sky. 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. The period 01 Dec for 2 ½ weeks or so is a very good time to observe the Moon. Last Quarter is on the 19 Dec hence will rise around midnight. So any observations need to be at a late hour – BUT you should be able to see it in the morning sky and hence during daylight hours.
Apogee is on 26th December (406,600km) - Its furthest distance in 2008 Perigee is on 12th December (356,567km) - Its closest distance in 2008
Good observing opportunity Conjunction of the Moon Jupiter and Saturn on 1st December. See Page 2 for details.
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Image: Total Lunar Eclipse by John Griffiths in Andalucia, Southern Spain on 21 Feb 2008 |
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Approximate times of Moonrise and Moonset
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page 1 of 2 |
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Student Calendar |
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VC7.9 |
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Last updated Nov 30, 2008 |
