There will be another smiling moon-

Last month around the time of the new crescent moon in the low western sky there were comments from people saying they have never seen the moon as a smiling crescent.

I thought it would be good to post that this month again, we will have this smiling crescent moon. Tonight you may be able to see it, given good clear sky and good timing. It will actually be able to be seen the next few nights for it will have its crescent shape for several days.

Also, it should have a 'earthshine' on it...which means that the part of the moon that is usually dark during the crescent phase will be able to be seen. The link below is for April 6th....but the new crescent moon MAY be able to be seen tonight right after the sun sets. It wont be in the sky for long for it will set to the west after the Sun sets.

earthsky.org...

Look westward at nightfall to see the Pleiades star cluster above tonight’s smiling lunar crescent. As seen from middle and far northern latitudes, the moon and Pleiades stay out well past dark tonight. For an extra treat, note the soft glow of earthshine on the moon’s dark (nighttime) side with the unaided eye or binoculars.

earthsky.org...

When can you see earthshine on a crescent moon?

Sometimes when there is a crescent moon shortly after sunset, you can see not only the bright crescent of the moon, but also the rest of the moon as a dark disc. Why can you see the dark disc of the moon? Shouldn’t it be pitch dark like space?

That pale glow on the unlit part of a crescent moon is light reflected from Earth. It’s called “earthshine.” Bright moonlight can illuminate an earthly landscape on nights when the moon is full. Likewise, whenever we see a crescent moon, a nearly full Earth appears in the moon’s night sky – and illuminates the lunar landscape. Next time you see a waxing crescent moon after sunset, think about the fact that the sun is just below your western horizon.

And when you’ve got that sense of the moon and sun in space, expand your thinking – to include the Earth under your feet. You might get a sense of the sun, shining on Earth’s day side – and see the glow on the unlit portion of the moon for what it really is – sunlight reflected from Earth.

I love to find the new crescent moon in the sky for it signals the start of a new moon cycle. In days of old, some cultures literally used this sighting to start each 'new month' and even used this method of the sighting of the 'new moon' before they started their 'new year'.

Happy seeking!
LV

reply to post by LeoVirgo


could we have your rough location as am sure that we have never seen the moon like this in the northern hemisphere well in good old blighty we have'nt well not that I can ever remember in the last 38 yrs

Originally posted by bauldrick
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

could we have your rough location as am sure that we have never seen the moon like this in the northern hemisphere well in good old blighty we have'nt well not that I can ever remember in the last 38 yrs

We have and its pretty normal for the months of February, March, and April. It slowly will start to slide to the side of the moon, rather then the bottom of the moon, if you watch it the next few months.

Here are some links though to get you started if you want to look...

The most well remembered and recent was in 1998. It got so much attention due to the fact that it had 2 of the planets sitting with it. Thanks to the internet, alot of people were aware of the 'smiling moon' that was supposed to be seen in the sky with Venus and Jupiter by its side, so alot of people took the time to step out and look at it and alot of photos were taken of it.

news.nationalgeographic.com...

The next link has photos taken from all over the world and if you scroll down through them you will find the smiling crescent being photographed in places of the USA.

moonsighting.com...

And here are some more...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...

Here is a great example of what we will likely see tonight and the next couple nights. It shows the moon's bottom side being lit along with the 'earthshine' influencing the sighting of the rest of the moon in a very dim sight. You can see the whole moon, even though its only supposed to be a 'new crescent phase'. The Sun lights the bottom and the light reflecting off of the earth onto the moon dimly shines onto the rest of the moon.

www.truthofyahweh.org...

www.truthofyahweh.org...



Edit to add..
Someone once asked me why it was that most of the links that had photos of the new moon crescent were religion based and that is because to some religions, its still very important to observe (instead of following a predicted calendar) the first sighting in the sky of the new crescent moon so they can start their 'new month'.

I noticed this thread that was made after I made mine today. Another person asking why the moon was lit from the bottom side. So I want to link that thread to here because some posters gave some great links in that thread explaining it and showing that its not something out of the norm.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by LeoVirgo


many thanks well interesting have often spent an hour or two looking at the night sky and have never seen it highlighted from the bottom looks well cool always been led to believe you could only see this from the southern hemisphere will be keeping a look out and once again thankyou

Originally posted by bauldrick
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

could we have your rough location as am sure that we have never seen the moon like this in the northern hemisphere well in good old blighty we have'nt well not that I can ever remember in the last 38 yrs

I am in the northern hemisphere as well and the first time I saw the moon lit from the bottom (smiling) was May of 2010. It has become a common occurance since then. If and when you see it you will be assaulted with propaganda telling you it is normal and that you have just never noticed before. A web search will reveal many pictures of this phenomenon, some are obvious fakes and others are simply rotated photos of ordinary crescent moons. Do some research and you will find many videos on you tube and several posts on ATS discussing this issue.

Originally posted by Trublbrwing

Originally posted by bauldrick
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

could we have your rough location as am sure that we have never seen the moon like this in the northern hemisphere well in good old blighty we have'nt well not that I can ever remember in the last 38 yrs

I am in the northern hemisphere as well and the first time I saw the moon lit from the bottom (smiling) was May of 2010. It has become a common occurance since then. If and when you see it you will be assaulted with propaganda telling you it is normal and that you have just never noticed before. A web search will reveal many pictures of this phenomenon, some are obvious fakes and others are simply rotated photos of ordinary crescent moons. Do some research and you will find many videos on you tube and several posts on ATS discussing this issue.

Its always great to learn something. Thankfully I come from a different angle at this then some because my father loved space and pointed the 'smiling' moon out to me one spring evening when I was a child. We were at one of my softball practices and I remember being so ah struck when I noticed it because it was as if the moon were smiling right at me as a child (I was likely 10 or 11years old). My father and mother were my coaches so we spent many evenings at the ball fields together for many years. This is the only time as a child I recall it, but Im thinking the reason that I only noticed it then was because it was pointed out to me by my father. Today, I share his same interests and point things like this out to my children now.

So I KNOW, its not something new.

Depending on the seasons and the elliptic paths orientation to earth will depend on if the Sun seems to sit to the side of the moon or in line with the moon. I dont think its occurring more often but that the online community has just been sharing more together, hence, more people are 'pointing out' to eachother to look at it.

www.space.com...

This article was posted for February's moon but it still explains what is going on.

The first thing to notice about tonight's moon (Feb. 9) is its orientation. For observers in the northern hemisphere, the terminator is almost horizontal, rather than the vertical orientation shown in most books.

Despite recent videos on YouTube, there is nothing unusual about this. It is caused by the angle which the moon’s orbit makes with the horizon at this time of year, so that the moon appears to be lit from below. Think for a moment about where the sun is located, and you’ll realize that the moon’s orientation makes complete sense.

I made a thread, before this one was made, about all of this....because I knew that it would be brought up again since we are again, at the time of 'new crescent moon' phase and since the orientation of the Sun and earth to the moon are set up to make a 'smiling moon'...I knew this topic would be brought up again.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It needs to be noted that people are confusing something. Many are looking at sites online that tell of the moon phase and they think that the image of the moon phase given is supposed to show us what the moon will look like in the sky exactly.

Moon phases ONLY show how much of the moon will be illuminated. Moon phase calendars or calculators do not give the orientation of the moon to the sun and earth. Just because you see on a moon phase link a image of the crescent moon shining on the side of the moon does not mean this is how the moon will look. The degree or amount of the given illumination of the moon will be correct, but this does not include where the Sun is in relation to the moon.

Due to the misunderstanding of the information that 'moon phase' sites give...people think that the moon is not supposed to be like this.

Here is a astronomical image of the position of the Sun and Moon as they are in the western sky tonight. The moon is still very close with the Sun so it may be hard to see the crescent moon tonight but keep looking over the next several nights!!

What we can see here is that the Sun and Moon are setting on a similar vertical path to the horizon. When the Sun sets, it will shine the bottom side of the moon.




More often then not...the Sun takes a path that sits just to the side of the moon (or better yet, the moon takes a path that sits to one side or the other of the Sun, because the Sun does not stray as much from its path like the moon does). So most of the time when people are seeing the 'side' of the moon making the crescent shape, the Moon is sitting more to the left of the Sun while the Sun is shining onto its right side. The seasons and earths tilt also play a part in this a bit too.

Originally posted by bauldrick
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

many thanks well interesting have often spent an hour or two looking at the night sky and have never seen it highlighted from the bottom looks well cool always been led to believe you could only see this from the southern hemisphere will be keeping a look out and once again thankyou

Actually you should only see it near the equator. When the crescent is lit on the left in the northern hemisphere it is lit on the right in the southern hemisphere. I would caution you to trust your instincts and intuition on this matter, google upturned crescent and moon lit from the bottom for more information and make your decision based on ALL the evidence.

reply to post by LeoVirgo


A touching fable indeed. Reminds me of the woman in The Blade Runner who was recalling her childhhod.
tisk, tisk.

Originally posted by Trublbrwing

Originally posted by bauldrick
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

many thanks well interesting have often spent an hour or two looking at the night sky and have never seen it highlighted from the bottom looks well cool always been led to believe you could only see this from the southern hemisphere will be keeping a look out and once again thankyou

Actually you should only see it near the equator. When the crescent is lit on the left in the northern hemisphere it is lit on the right in the southern hemisphere. I would caution you to trust your instincts and intuition on this matter, google upturned crescent and moon lit from the bottom for more information and make your decision based on ALL the evidence.

No, its not only seen at the equator. That may be the most common place to see it but it does happen also in both hemispheres.

At the end of this moon cycle (in about 25-27 days) one will be able to go out in the morning sky before the sun rises in the east and see a upside down crescent in the sky.

It depends on the orientation of the elliptical path to earth as well as can also depend on if the moon is along the same path as the sun or not. The moon is not always following the same path of the sun and it can drift from the suns path several degrees. If the moon always followed the Sun perfectly on the elliptic path, we would have solar eclipses every month during dark moon phase-but we dont.

I think you are confusing instinct with familiarity. Just because a person is unfamiliar with something does not mean that their instinct of it being 'not normal' would be correct.

You are unfamiliar with the moon being lit on the bottom so you are assuming that your instinct is telling you that its not normal.

Originally posted by LeoVirgo
Here is a astronomical image of the position of the Sun and Moon as they are in the western sky tonight. The moon is still very close with the Sun so it may be hard to see the crescent moon tonight but keep looking over the next several nights!!

What we can see here is that the Sun and Moon are setting on a similar vertical path to the horizon. When the Sun sets, it will shine the bottom side of the moon.




More often then not...the Sun takes a path that sits just to the side of the moon (or better yet, the moon takes a path that sits to one side or the other of the Sun, because the Sun does not stray as much from its path like the moon does). So most of the time when people are seeing the 'side' of the moon making the crescent shape, the Moon is sitting more to the left of the Sun while the Sun is shining onto its right side. The seasons and earths tilt also play a part in this a bit too.

I'm puzzled. When exactly did you make the quantum leap of knowledge from casual observer to astonomer? Now you have diagrams and a better than average insight into the workings of the galaxy?

reply to post by Trublbrwing

I'm puzzled. When exactly did you make the quantum leap of knowledge from casual observer to astonomer? Now you have diagrams and a better than average insight into the workings of the galaxy?

I love astronomy. Anyone can use astronomy programs.

You obviously have a problem with the fact that this might not be something mysterious and you wish to cling to the idea that it absolutely MUST be unexplainable.

Im sorry you have such issues.

A little studying can help you understand the workings of the earth, sun, and moon.

reply to post by LeoVirgo

I am most certainly NOT confusing instinct with familiarity, I have lived through over 500 moon cycles. I have observed them while camping with the cub scouts and while lying on my back in a sailboat. There is a well used telescope in the next room and there are four pairs of high quality binoculars in the house as well as one pair in each of my automobiles. The very first thing I do every morning when I leave the house is look at the sky, I repeat the ritual every single time I exit a building.
On the book case to my left are sixteen books on astonomy, among them are field guides and detailed maps of the night sky in my area. I am intimately familiar with the night sky and have no doubt about my ability to judge what is normal and what is unusual.
THE CRESCENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE MOON IS UNUSUAL, IT IS AN ANOMOLY.

Originally posted by Trublbrwing
reply to post by LeoVirgo

 

I am most certainly NOT confusing instinct with familiarity, I have lived through over 500 moon cycles. I have observed them while camping with the cub scouts and while lying on my back in a sailboat. There is a well used telescope in the next room and there are four pairs of high quality binoculars in the house as well as one pair in each of my automobiles. The very first thing I do every morning when I leave the house is look at the sky, I repeat the ritual every single time I exit a building.
On the book case to my left are sixteen books on astonomy, among them are field guides and detailed maps of the night sky in my area. I am intimately familiar with the night sky and have no doubt about my ability to judge what is normal and what is unusual.
THE CRESCENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE MOON IS UNUSUAL, IT IS AN ANOMOLY.

Im sorry to tell your ego that it does not 'know' everything and I know you are not of the personality type to be open to learning something. So despite you have astronomy information at your finger tips, you will continue to ignore learning.

Is the crescent on the bottom of the moon what we usually see? No, we most of the time see a crescent shape to the side of the moon. But just because the bottom crescent is not as usual as the side crescent....certainly does not at all, make it an anomaly.

A new crescent moon is not always seen due to clouds or due to the slim amount of time its in the sky. The time frame each month to catch the new crescent moon is slim and is not ever in the 'morning sky' but is in the evening sky right after sun set and is only there for a moment really because it sets following the sun. And actually, it doesnt necessarily happen every year like what we are seeing this year. If the moon is on a path that sits several degrees out of line with the suns elliptic path, then such a bottom crescent is likely not to be noticeable like what we have this year.

Here is an image of August 2 of this year. You can see how elliptical path will become more diagonal which will cause the Suns orientation to the moon to cause a 'side crescent' that we are likely more used to.




If we observe the 'new crescent moons' over the next few months, we will see this 'orientation' slowly taking place.

reply to post by Trublbrwing

my instincts have been telling me for some time something is amiss with the night sky for nearly 20yrs was able to go in the guarden at night and point out the basic constellations am in no way knowledgeable on the topic but appreciate the beauty of the night sky and recently if I go out struggle to find what has always seemed easy to do pointing out the most well known of the constellations I do realise we are moving through space and orbit the sun lol so things do not always appear in the same location but it seems odd in so many yrs of being a casual observer of the night sky have never noticed it before and will look further into. thanks for the info

reply to post by LeoVirgo


thanks for the info the pair of you have only caused more questions and added to the confusion lol will be looking into it's just seems strange to me in 38 yr of looking up to the sky have never noticed it before will be keeping my eyes open and looking into it a little further not really into astronomy but do appreaciate the beauty of the night sky

reply to post by LeoVirgo

Finally we are on the same page as you admit the smiling moon is unusual. Look, I don't know you, you're probably a very nice person and I'm sure you believe what you are saying. I have had this debate with many people over the last few months and my goal is not to change YOUR perception, it is to keep others from ignoring something important because you tell them it's normal.
This smiling moon is now staring back at me with alarming frequency, it was unusual in May of 2010, it is common in April of 2011, it was there last night and it will happen again in May.

reply to post by Trublbrwing

went out tonight and saw for the first time a smiling moon well cool just hope it is normal lol considering what passes for the norm these days once again thanks to you both if you two hadn't mentioned this I may have never noticed cheers