For the Moon Observer

These are some observations about the moon throughout the lunar month:

The new moon:

• The new moon first appears right after sunset, on the west side of the sky.
• The moon position is slightly east of the sun (up).
• The moon is usually not on the same trajectory as the sun, it could be a bit to the north or to the south.
• The moon sets shortly after the sun.
• The new moon rises shortly after sunrise, but is not visible until the time of sunset.
• The new moon is a thin crescent. The lit side of the moon is the one facing west.

Tip: The lit side of the moon is always the side where the sun is. ( But you already knew that :-) )

If you observe the new moon day after day at the same time every day:

• The lit side of the moon increases by about 1/15th of a full moon.
• The moon position moves about 12 degrees to the east, higher in the sky.

As the month advances:

• The moon rises, and sets, about 49 minutes later every day. This means it stays visible for a longer time.

In the middle of the month:

• The moon is a full moon.
• It rises at sunset, and sets at dawn, thus lighting the whole night.
• It reaches the highest point in the sky at midnight.

In the second half of the month:

• The moon rises late at night, and stays visible for a while after sunrise.
• The lit side of the moon is the one facing east.

Close to the end of the month:

• The moon rises just a bit before sunrise.
• It's now a tiny eastern crescent, soon to disappear in the sun's glare.