dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (01/18/85)
A moon seen in the east just before sunup is called an old moon. More about a very old moon -- after this. January 18: The Old Moon You've got a chance to see something really special Saturday morning -- the old moon. An old moon is one that's waning -- and about to disappear into the glare of the sun. It's called old because each lunation -- or lunar cycle -- officially begins each month at new moon. New moon -- old moon -- there's also a young moon -- and all those different labels can be confusing. But just remember that everything starts over at new moon -- that instant each month when the sun, moon and Earth are most directly on a line -- with the moon in the middle. A new moon is invisible, lost in the solar glare. And a moon just past new has come around to the other side of the sun -- as visible in the west after sunset -- a tender crescent said by stargazers to be young. The young moon somehow inspires hope and romance. But the old moon has its own special charm, which you've got to get up out of bed to see. In fact, part of that charm may stem from the peace and solitude surrounding the dawn. To see the old moon Saturday morning, stake out an observing site where you've got a clear view of the east. If you live in the city, a window high above the street will do-- or in the country, any hilltop. The old moon will rise very shortly before the sun on Saturday. It'll be a serene-looking crescent-- too fragile and thin to withstand the light of day after sunrise! Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin