Author: Robert Lunsford

During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Monday June 22nd. At this time, the moon is located near the sun and it invisible at night. As the week progresses the waxing crescent moon will enter the evening sky but will not interfere with meteor observing.

During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Saturday June 13th. At this time the moon will rise near 02:00 local summer time (LST) and will remain in the sky the remainder of the morning. This will compromise late morning viewing but successful meteor observations can still be attempted if one keeps the moon out of their field of view. As the week progresses the waning crescent moon will rise later each morning, becoming less of a problem with each passing night.

During this period the moon’s phase wanes from full to nearly half illuminated. As the week progresses the waning gibbous moon will rise later each night, providing a small window of dark skies between dusk and moonrise. Unfortunately, meteor activity during this time of night is low, but this is offset by the opportunity for younger observers to view the dark evening sky prior to bedtime.

During this period, the moon reaches its first quarter phase on Saturday May 30th. At this time, it is located 90 degrees east of the sun and sets near midnight local standard time. As the week progresses the waxing gibbous moon will start intruding on the morning sky, shrinking the opportunity to view under dark conditions which each passing night. Toward the end of this period moon set and the start of morning twilight will be simultaneous.

During this period, the moon progresses from its new phase to almost half-illuminated. It won’t cause any problems once it enters the evening sky as it will set long before the more active morning hours arrive.