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[Centaur]

Who will be the first to spot the July New Moon with naked eyes after sunset? The Dark Moon will be in geocentric longitudinal conjunction with the Sun on 2011 JUL 01 at 08:54 UT (03:54 CDT). We have entered the period of the year following the summer solstice in which the early spotting of a New Moon becomes more difficult for northern hemisphere observers. So it now becomes more of a challenge.

I’ve created three graphics previewing the western sky as viewed after sunset from Chicagoland on July 2, 3 & 4. They should well serve most North American observers. They can be seen by clicking: www.CurtRenz.com/moon

Also on my Moon webpage is a panorama including each Diana’s Bow in 2011. That’s a waxing crescent Moon about 10% illuminated and aged about three days. The name is a reference to the archery equipment of the ancient Roman goddess of the Moon and hunting. The graphic nicely illustrates how the season of the year affects the viewing a waxing crescent Moon.

Photos and descriptions of the July New Moon would be welcome additions to this thread. Please include the date, time, time zone and location. Good Luck!

Below is a photo I took from Arlington Heights, Illinois of the “Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms above Fireworks” on 2008 JUL 04. Perhaps you can shoot something similar this Independence Day.

[patrickm]

We'll be in Asheville, NC tomorrow eve. We shall see.

Out of all of your gorgeous Moon photos, I think this one take the cake. Spectacular!

[-=CROMAN=-]

I'll be in Myrtle Beach at the end of the month. Im debating bringing a scope or laying down some cash for a metal detector to comb the beach for treasure.

[patrickm]

Those are mutually exclusive?

[Centaur]

Here’s my shot taken this evening from Arlington Heights, Illinois of the Moon aged 41:05 hrs on 2011 JUL 02 at 20:59 CDT.

[Paulie pchris00]

Nice shot, and convenient sucker hole.

I love it when the Sun lights the clouds from underneath and turns them all kinds of pretty colors!

[Centaur]

Thanks Paulie. Here’s my photo of the waxing crescent Moon taken this evening two days after the previous one. Sorry, no fireworks made it into the shot. They were all across the horizon, but none near the Moon.

[Paulie pchris00]

Love that Earthshine.

Shouldn't this thread be titled "July's First New Moon Spotting?"

[Centaur]

Jul 5, 2011 8:02:55 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Love that Earthshine.

Shouldn't this thread be titled "July's First New Moon Spotting?"

I already had considered your good point Paulie, but since the next Dark Moon will conjunct the Sun midday on July 30 amid post-solstice celestial geometry, I assumed that observers north of the tropics will not spot the New Moon until August 1; perhaps not even until August 2. So next month I might note both early and late month New Moon challenges. This was so much simpler when our ancestors utilized lunar calendars. Ah, for the old days!