moon

We’re now just past the new Moon stage of the lunar cycle, which means we are now seeing a crescent moon. Always lowish in the sky, the crescent may be the Moon’s most fascinating phase. Perhaps its dreaminess comes from its uniqueness. Tune in to hear about other shapes and the sky and the best time to view Venus.

A lunation is the term for the Moon passing through all of its phases, which takes 29.5 days and was the basis for the calendar month. A lunation always begins with the New Moon, which will oddly happen the final days of the year, next week, guaranteeing unusual darkness for the upcoming New Year’s Eve. Tune in to hear some weird facts about the moon and the controversial statistics that indicate a bit more cloudy weather.

Despite all the media attention focused on various full Moons – like saying it’s the wolf Moon or strawberry Moon or what-have-you, there are really only two officially recognized Full Moons. There’s the Harvest Moon, which is the Full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, and there’s the next Full Moon after that – the Hunters Moon. And That’s what we’re seeing this week.

These nights the first few hours after nightfall let us see the brightest part of our Galaxy. The next night it’s clear, you’ll find the Moon is absent. So if you’re away from city lights and you let your eye dark adapt for a few minutes, you’ll see the creamy glow of the Milky Way right overhead, splitting the sky in half from North to south. Tune in to hear what you need to catch that perfect glimpse of the stellar night sky.

For the first time since 1985, the Full Moon happens precisely on the summer solstice. Tune in to hear the process of the moon’s explosive brightening.

The full moon is of course the most celebrated lunar phase, and for good reason. It’s the brightest, and it’s the only phase that’s out all night long.

Do you still keep your old binoculars in the same drawer as your socks? And are you psyched to glimpse the green planet Uranus?

According to the U.N., most of us live in cites rather than rural regions. The switchover arrived in 2007. Which brings up the rural night’s main illumination – the Moon. We now know that lunar brightness doubles 2.5 days before Full Moon, which is a big deal if you need a little extra light to complete outdoor rural work. After all, a Half Moon is only a tenth as bright as a Full Moon, not enough to be fully useful.

Those who were in the path of the last U.S. total solar eclipse, on August 21, 2017, know the marvels that arrive with a solar totality. The experience tops the list of nature’s most awesome spectacles. But a partial solar eclipse, which is taking place on October 14, is a different ball of wax.

The world adores the Full Moon. Poetry has always linked it to love. The fact that it’s one of Nature’s few perfectly round objects connects it with many cultures’ ancient beliefs that the circle was the perfect geometric shape, since it has no beginning or end. This week: the Moon.