Post by Centaur on Mar 3, 2005 19:12:07 GMT -6
Who will be first to spot the New Moon by naked-eye after its conjunction with the Sun on 2005 Mar 10 @ 09:10 UT?
This slender young crescent Moon, a day or two old, was traditionally referred to as the New Moon. On the day of conjunction our ancestors called it the Dark Moon. However, most modern calendar makers insist on labeling the conjunction day as that of the New Moon.
Since I began this series in March of 2004 within several astronomical message boards, the overall champion is Navneeth (SN1987A) in Madras, India with a January sighting at 24:51 after conjunction.
Americans will have a shot at breaking Navneeth's record by a wide margin this month. The geometry is most favorable for us northerners in the days shortly before the vernal equinox. The nearness to perigee is also a help. The timing is such that a North American could report a sighting well under 20 hours after conjunction. Good Luck!
Please report your March observation within this thread, including location and time with zone. Even negative results would be interesting. Photos would be especially nice. No prizes, just bragging rights.
I've created a graphic previewing the western sky 20 minutes after sunset on March 10 as seen from Chicago, although it should be useful for most North American observers. For those who need an extra day, I've prepared a preview of 30 minutes after sunset on March 11. That's the day that the Moon conjuncts Mercury which is near its greatest eastern elongation for the cycle. To see them, click:
www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Then click the blue button for the "March New Moon Spotting Contest" or "Moon Conjuncts Mercury".
The graphics may be removed soon after March 11.
This slender young crescent Moon, a day or two old, was traditionally referred to as the New Moon. On the day of conjunction our ancestors called it the Dark Moon. However, most modern calendar makers insist on labeling the conjunction day as that of the New Moon.
Since I began this series in March of 2004 within several astronomical message boards, the overall champion is Navneeth (SN1987A) in Madras, India with a January sighting at 24:51 after conjunction.
Americans will have a shot at breaking Navneeth's record by a wide margin this month. The geometry is most favorable for us northerners in the days shortly before the vernal equinox. The nearness to perigee is also a help. The timing is such that a North American could report a sighting well under 20 hours after conjunction. Good Luck!
Please report your March observation within this thread, including location and time with zone. Even negative results would be interesting. Photos would be especially nice. No prizes, just bragging rights.
I've created a graphic previewing the western sky 20 minutes after sunset on March 10 as seen from Chicago, although it should be useful for most North American observers. For those who need an extra day, I've prepared a preview of 30 minutes after sunset on March 11. That's the day that the Moon conjuncts Mercury which is near its greatest eastern elongation for the cycle. To see them, click:
www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Then click the blue button for the "March New Moon Spotting Contest" or "Moon Conjuncts Mercury".
The graphics may be removed soon after March 11.
