Skinny Moon Last Thursday.

Keltik (Trevor) · #1 21-04-2012, 09:53 PM

I got up at about 6am, as usual, and the dawn sky to the East was flecked with a few clouds. I let the dogs in and was about to turn round and put the kettle on when a tiny sliver of light caught my attention. The only camera I had to hand was the iPhone 4s....I held it up against the door-frame and popped off a couple of shots, not thinking that the results would be usable...but tonight, loading them up and giving them a bit of a fiddle on Windows ( I'm a Mac man usually) there was a tiny sliver of a very early New Moon! The Moon Phase function on IIS says 0% at the moment, so I'm a bit pleased that I caught a very early New Moon in the simplest of circumstances.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #2 21-04-2012, 10:17 PM

Trevor, nicely captured!

There is actually a worldwide effort to take a photo of the youngest moon.
Up until a year ago the youngest Moon photographed was about 1 hour and 10 minutes!! An amazing feat.

But it appears that April last year a chap called Thierry Legault has photographed the Moon at an unbelievable 'Zero' age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://legault.perso.sfr.fr/new_moon_2010april14.html

Now, because of his image, there ends the worldwide challenge to get the youngest Moon

Keltik (Trevor) · #3 21-04-2012, 10:57 PM

I was chuffed to see it, Ken, as it was such a beautiful sight with the sky lightening up. It's a bit academic to say you've seen the 'earliest New Moon'... if the guys on the Space Station could be bothered, they could probably take a shot even earlier than terrestrial New Moon Zero, given the right angular circumstances.But it's nice to feel you can document something that takes you by surprise in suburban Melbourne at 6 or so in the morning!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #4 22-04-2012, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keltik

It's a bit academic to say you've seen the 'earliest New Moon'... if the guys on the Space Station could be bothered, they could probably take a shot even earlier than terrestrial New Moon Zero, given the right angular circumstances.

The challenge is for Amatuer Astrophotographers. Nothing ever really official with a prize or anything. Just bragging rights

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keltik

But it's nice to feel you can document something that takes you by surprise in suburban Melbourne at 6 or so in the morning!

Sure is, and you did well getting a shot of it that thin

Keltik (Trevor) · #5 22-04-2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

The challenge is for Amatuer Astrophotographers. Nothing ever really official with a prize or anything. Just bragging rights

Sure is, and you did well getting a shot of it that thin

I suppose a total solar eclipse is the earliest 'phase' of the moon you can capture

Sharnbrook (Mike) · #6 22-04-2012, 03:23 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but according to my Astro Calender, the New Moon was at 5pm yesterday, Saturday 21st April. As you saw the moon on Thursday morning, it must have been the Old Moon at the end of its cycle. New Moons are always in the evening sky.

I hope I'm right, or I shall have lots of egg on my face.