06-02-2019, 09:36 AM
Just a little primer for those who don't already know: If you are going to observe the moon phases, you need to know the logic of how it moves. Think about it. The moon faces earth with the same face always. If we see a bright face (full moon), it's facing the sun. That means it's almost behind earth, opposite the sun from our position. If we see a dark face (new moon), then it's between us and the sun.
When it's between us and the sun, it's closer to the daylight. As the moon phase shifts toward the new moon, it rises later and later in the morning, until the actual new moon phase change when it's almost invisible against the light of the sun. Part of knowing it's almost a new moon is that you go out before dawn and the moon is just coming up ahead of the sun, and its face is dark to us, except for a thin sliver of silver.
As we head toward the full moon, it rises later and later in the day, until at the full moon itself, when it doesn't appear with the sun at all, but only at night.
When it's between us and the sun, it's closer to the daylight. As the moon phase shifts toward the new moon, it rises later and later in the morning, until the actual new moon phase change when it's almost invisible against the light of the sun. Part of knowing it's almost a new moon is that you go out before dawn and the moon is just coming up ahead of the sun, and its face is dark to us, except for a thin sliver of silver.
As we head toward the full moon, it rises later and later in the day, until at the full moon itself, when it doesn't appear with the sun at all, but only at night.