{"id":60505,"date":"2024-07-01T05:33:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T05:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/664a5b18-f38a-4b57-b80c-0277a41e56e6"},"modified":"2024-07-01T05:39:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T05:39:41","slug":"can-you-take-our-challenge-and-spot-the-thin-crescent-moon-in-the-sky-on-5th-and-6th-july","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/can-you-take-our-challenge-and-spot-the-thin-crescent-moon-in-the-sky-on-5th-and-6th-july\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you take our challenge and spot the thin crescent Moon in the sky on 5th and 6th July?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 01 July 2024 at 05:33 AM<\/p>

\n\n

There are two opportunities to spot a thin Moon at the start of July 2024, the first in the dawn sky on 5 July and the second in the evening sky on 6 July.<\/p>

The best time to see these thin Moons will be 5 July, approximately 40 minutes before sunrise or 6 July, approximately 30 minutes after sunset.<\/p>

Chart showing the location of a thin crescent Moon on 5 July 2024.Click chart to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A thin crescent Moon<\/a> is one that occurs immediately before or after new Moon.<\/p>
In order to be seen at all, the timing has to be just right to place a Moon which is greater than the Danjon limit within evening or morning twilight.\u00a0<\/p>
The Danjon limit states how far the Moon needs to be away from the Sun to be seen.<\/p>
The Moon isn\u2019t perfectly smooth; its rough surface is littered with craters, mountains and valleys that break up the thin arc of light close to new Moon and limit its visibility.<\/p>
The Danjon limit states that the Moon needs to be more than 7\u00b0 from the Sun to be seen. \u00a0<\/p>
Another factor is sky brightness.<\/p>
A fuller phase of Moon is easy to see in a dark sky, but a very thin crescent is in itself less bright and it appears in a sky that\u2019s in bright twilight. This creates a major visibility challenge.<\/p>
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of a thin crescent Moon on 6 July 2024. Click chart to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Then there\u2019s the weather. The slightest bit of haze will do a very impressive job of hiding a thin Moon.<\/p>
Put all of these hurdles together and you\u2019ll understand that grabbing a view or a photograph of a very thin Moon is something of a rarity and quite an accomplishment.\u00a0<\/p>
If the weather is good, we\u2019d recommend following the ever-thinning waning Moon in the morning sky from 1\u20134 July to get a feel for how it looks before the big event on the morning of 5 July.<\/p>
The thin Moon on 6 July will be close to Venus and Mercury, but it will be tough to spot. As ever, never look using optical aids, unless the Sun is below the horizon.<\/p>
***If you manage to observe or photograph the thin Moon, let us know by emailing*** ***contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>***
***This guide appeared in the July 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n***
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