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night side of the moon is facing us now. Plus the moon is near the sun in the sky, moving across the sky with the sun during the day. Each month at new moon, the moon swings more or less in between the Earth and sun. It officially moves out of the morning sky and into the evening sky.
• So you won't see the new moon today. On the day of the new moon, the moon more or less rises with the sun at sunrise, climbs up high with the sun at noon and sets with the sun at sunset. All this time, however, the moon slowly moves eastward relative to the sun, at the rate of about one-half degree (one moon-diameter) per hour. After one day, the moon moves about 12o (24 moon-diameters) eastward relative to the sun.
• If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on how far west you are from the International Date Line, you might see the moon after sunset tomorrow (Thursday, April 11). As Earth spins, bringing the moon into view for people farther and farther to the west of that line on Earth's globe, the moon will also be waxing - and getting farther from the sun on the sky's dome after sunset. So it'll become easier and easier to see as the hours pass on April 11. We in North America have a good shot at seeing the thin crescent on April 11. For all of us on Earth, though, the waxing crescent moon on April 11 will be whisker-thin and near the haze of evening twilight. So have binoculars ready as you seek for tomorrow's young moon.
• We said the moon passes between the Earth and sun at new moon. But it doesn't always pass directly between; if it did, there'd be an eclipse every month. This month, the new moon passes to the north of the sun's disk, as seen from Earth. But next month - on May 10 - the new moon will swing directly in front of the sun as (Continued on page 19)
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