dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (02/10/86)
Romantics will find a pretty sight in the west after sunset this Valentine's week. More -- in a minute. February 10 Valentine's Moon Any evening this week, look in the west after sunset for something romantic -- the slim crescent moon -- waxing in this week before Valentine's Day. The moon was new on Saturday. That means it was between the Earth and sun -- and invisible as it crossed the sky in the daytime, hidden in the sun's glare. You probably didn't see the moon last night unless you looked very carefully along the western horizon shortly after the sun went down. But Monday evening, the crescent moon is easy to find in the west after sunset. It's waxing -- growing larger -- every day. Every evening this week, it'll show up after sunset a little higher in the twilight sky. So look for it -- the waxing crescent moon -- in the west in this week leading up to Valentine's day. Everyone knows that the moon is an object for romance. We looked it up and found the expression "spooning in the moon." But, in moonlore, romance doesn't get mentioned much, though there is the notion that you should start certain kinds of things in the light of the moon. According to the Pennsylvania Dutch, you are supposed to get married in the light of the moon -- when there's a moon like the one we have this week -- one that's waxing or growing larger every day. And people have looked at statistics on the number of births occuring at different phases of the moon. As for romance in the light of the moon you'll have to look that up for yourself. Just be careful -- don't get moonstruck. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1985, 1986 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin