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[Centaur]

New Moon spotting is difficult for northern hemisphere observers around the Autumnal Equinox. So is Mercury spotting, despite its rather great eastern elongation when it occurs at this time of year. The celestial geometry is against us as the ecliptic at sunset slants off to the left. During the early evening of 2007 SEP 13 the Moon will be 2.5-days-old, but still hard to find. Mercury at magnitude +0.1 will be 6° to its right, and magnitude +1.0 Spica will be 5° to the Moon’s upper left. I’ve created a graphic that may help you locate the grouping. It can be seen at www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

Anyone who is successful in spotting the grouping is invited to report in this thread.

[Centaur]

I captured the 2.5-day-old crescent Moon on 2007 SEP 13 at 19:36 CDT from Arlington Heights, Illinois. That may be too old to call it a New Moon, but it's the best I could do when near the Autumnal Equinox. In fact, it was almost Diana's Bow (3-day-old Moon).

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

That's quite an exotic crescent you got there Curt.

Very nice.

[Centaur]

admin said:

That's quite an exotic crescent you got there Curt.

Very nice.

That picture was taken especially for your enjoyment, Joe, since I know your western view is blocked. ;D The time was 30 minutes after sunset and 10 minutes before moonset. Notice how the bulge of the crescent points toward the Sun, which was far more to the right than down. That’s what happens at this time of the year, when the ecliptic tilts well to the left around sunset. In March I took a picture of the Moon aged less than 22 hours, when the ecliptic was close to vertical. This month the Moon aged nearly 60 hours was at an even lower altitude following a similar wait after sunset.

Below is the scene I captured on 2007 MAR 19 of the Moon aged 21:45 hrs. Notice how the bulge of the crescent is pointing more nearly downward.