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In the past two weeks, the moon has pared down from full phase to a sharp-tipped crescent. At the moment it's very low in the east at dawn. But starting Tuesday, May 27, it tiptoes back into the evening sky as a waxing crescent. I say "tiptoe" because the moon is so low and thin for the first couple nights of its return, most of us don't even notice it. But it takes only a little effort to spy the spider-web-thin, less-than-day-old moon, one of the sky's greatest delicacies.
I compare it to seeing the first yellow lady's slipper on the hiking trail in spring. You stop in your tracks to admire such a bright and special flower. On Tuesday night, May 27 the moon will be just 23 hours old -- less than a day past new phase -- for observers in the Central Time Zone.
To see this lunar lemon peel you need three things -- a clear, unobstructed view to the west, binoculars to make the moon more apparent and good weather. The last is always an issue in the skywatching hobby. Astronomy molds its followers into cockeyed optimists. We become very good at hoping for and imagining clear skies because, well, there's no other choice. Our secret selves know it's a 50-50 proposition at best. OK, usually less.
The moon's age varies by location. For observers in the Eastern Time Zone it will be younger yet, just 22 hours old. In the mountain states it ages to 24 hours, and on the West Coast to 25. The eastern states are an hour ahead of the Midwest. When it's dark enough in Atlanta to spy the moon in the western sky at dusk, the sun has yet to set in the Midwest. Similarly, Californians must wait an additional 2 hours for sunset, which ages the moon a little bit more.
Since the waxing moon follows the sun, the best time to find it is starting about 30 minutes after sunset low in the northwestern sky. For the Duluth region it will be visible from about 9:20 p.m. to 10 p.m. on May 27. Still, it's a good idea to keep binoculars handy. Besides enhancing the earthshine, they'll show the crescent's coarse texture, caused by shadows cast by lunar peaks and crater walls "biting" into the bright crescent. Earthshine is sunlight reflected from Earth into space that dimly illuminates the moon's nighttime hemisphere.
About one outstretched fist to the upper left of the crescent you'll spot Jupiter. If you can't see it with your eyes alone, focus on the moon in binoculars, place it below the center of the field of view, and then slowly slide to the left until you spot a bright "star." That'll be Jupiter. The gas giant glimmers deep in the twilight glow and will soon be lost to view, leaving Mars as the sole evening planet. It shines a short distance above and to the right of Regulus, Leo's brightest star.
On June 24 Jupiter will be in conjunction with the sun and completely invisible until it pops back into view at dawn in mid-July. On August 12, the same time as the Perseid meteor shower is active, Venus and Jupiter will squeeze close together in their best and brightest conjunction of the year. I'm already excited about it and -- no surprise -- optimistic for clear skies.