The moon hides: from darkness to earth
There is something deliciously dramatic in the act of monthly disappearance of the moon. For a moment, he dominates our night sky, and the next – POOF! – He left, only to make a great reversal a few days later like a delicate a little light. Consider this your guided tour through the celestial drama which takes place above, with particular attention to the lunar phases of which we will attend in real time.
The Vanishing Act (June 27-28)
Friday and Saturday bring us the new moon, the most delicious contradiction of astronomy – we celebrate what we literally cannot see. The moon fucks precisely between the earth and the sun, showing us its unlined side. It is the cosmic stealth mode.
But this is where magic occurs for serious stargazers: without a moonlight that washes the sky, these two nights offer premium conditions for hunting objects from the deep sky. Consider it as a nature lowering the lights so that you can better see the subtle details.
Treasures of the night sky:
- Handle your telescope towards the Hercules cluster (M13) seated high above – a magnificent ball of around 300,000 stars that has traveled the galaxy of tens of times from its training. (Made that your morning journey seems rather picturesque, right?)
- The ringing of the ring (M57) in Lyra also organizes a spectacular spectacle – the cosmic equivalent of watching an elegant farewell visit of a star, because it loses its outer layers in a ring of perfect smoke of shiny gas.
The Cosmic Return (June 29-July 2)
From Sunday evening, our lunar friend begins his shy return as a wax croissant. Look towards the west after sunset for what ancient cultures have often called “the young moon” – a slim curve thinking the horizon.
Each evening, this arc becomes slightly larger while the moon moves further from its alignment with the sun, revealing more of its sun driven on the sun. It is the natural version of the dramatic lighting that takes place in slow motion.
Wonder Earthshine: Here is where it becomes interesting (and where I am unreasonably excited)): While admiring this crunchy croissant edge, look at the dark part of the moon. Notice this ghostly glow illuminating the whole lunar disc? It is the earth of the earth – the light of the sun which bounces offshore, strikes the dark side of the moon and is reflected towards our eyes.
Think of this trip: the light traveling 93 million miles from the sun, bouncing on our oceans and our clouds, traveling 238,000 additional miles to the moon, then turning the same distance from your retina. This represents about 186 million miles of cosmic freak just so that you can see this subtle glow. Is not worth going out for, wouldn’t you say?
Planetary meetings
This week not only concerns the game of our hide-and-seek moon. Several planets join the celestial party:
Mercury: the elusive (June 27-29)
For the truly dedicated, Mercury makes a very low appearance on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. Identifying this most interior planet requires a clear sky, an open-ended view, and perhaps the determination of someone who hunts the last parking space during a sale of Black Friday.
When to look:
- Time: about 30 minutes before sunrise
- Direction: very low on the oriental horizon
- Challenge level: high – twins can help (but never point them to the rising sun!)
March and the moon: the power couple (June 29 to July 1)
Our crescent moon with hair removal does not come back alone in the sky – it brings a rusty companion. Look at the young moon to shake Mars in the Constellation Leo, creating what astronomers call a conjunction. These are mainly cosmic neighbors who seem to hang out together, despite millions of kilometers from each other – the celestial equivalent of these forced tourist photos where someone pretends to hold the tower leaning of Pisa.
- Time: in the early evening, just after sunset
- Direction: Western sky
- Photography advice: This twinning creates an astonishing composition with the crescent with terrestrial lighting next to the reddish planet
Saturn: The Ringmaster (all week)
Saturn displays her bling for night birds this week. These rings – tilted just so – are like the response of the universe to “Tell me that you are a magnificent gas giant without telling me that you are a magnificent gas giant.”
The position of the planet in Aquarius means that it rises later that its planetary brothers and sisters, requiring either a late bedtime or an early alarm.
When to look:
- Time: after midnight until dawn
- Direction: Southern Sky (in Aquarius)
- Equipment recommendation: even a small telescope will reveal these emblematic rings
Venus: The Morning Star (she is here all week, friends)
Venus dominates the sky before dawn with the subtlety of a disco ball in a library. Everything except the sun and the moon, it is essentially the celestial equivalent of this friend who must always be the brightest person of the room (and we always love them for that).
When to look:
- Time: 1-2 hours before sunrise
- Direction: Oriental horizon
- Impossible to miss the factor: the brightest point of light in the sky before dawn
Why this week counts
There is something deeply to connect to looking at the moon phases. This foreseeable cycle has guided human calendars, agriculture and rituals for thousands of years. When you go out to watch the crescent moon emerge this next week, you participate in perhaps the oldest continuous observation of humanity.
The dance between the light and the shadow we are witnessing – from the new moon invisible to the delicate interaction of the direct light of the sun and the earth on the crescent – reminds us that even in our hyper -technological world, the fundamental rhythms of our solar system continue their old patterns.
Whether you are armed with sophisticated equipment or simply your naked eyes and a feeling of wonder, this week offers a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the sky. After all, in a world of endless digital notifications, there is something refreshing and analog to seek and look at the real physical universe to take place above us.
Clear sky, Skywatchers comrades. The show is about to start.
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