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John Griffiths Astro Pages |
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The Moon Apr 2010 |
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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
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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.
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Image: Total Lunar Eclipse by John Griffiths in Andalucía, Southern Spain on 21 Feb 2008 |
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Approximate times of Moonrise and Moonset
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Student Calendar |
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Last updated Mar 30, 2010 |