Comments on: Newest of new moons

By: Mr Elsässer

Mr Elsässer — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:59:45 +0000

Of course we knew about the time of new-moon (several different definitions are available) but due to clouds we could not quite acchieve the “NULL”.

“Schweinewolke” is a derogatory term for the very cloud which prevented the NULL and could be translated as “pig-cloud” (not meaning to insult any pigs, of course.)

The images are processed images: Adding about 100 images from a videostream, applying a flat-field, applying a auto-flat, adjusting contrast and brightness.

The brightest part of the crescent was about 0.3% brighter than the background sky (foreground actually), as measured from the best image, some hours before new.

By: puckchaser

puckchaser — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:16:54 +0000

I would have taken a video, and then a screen cap …. just sayin..

By: Cool (or at least Interesting) Links in Science and SF

Cool (or at least Interesting) Links in Science and SF — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:47:08 +0000

[...] Bad Astronomy reports a photo of the newest of new moon. [...]

By: tony873004

tony873004 — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:03:57 +0000

During a solar eclipse, features on the Moon’s dark side can be seen. Why doesn’t this count as the record?

By: Gnat

Gnat — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:11:34 +0000

On a purely asctetic note: the colors are absolutely beautiful! It’s my new background!

By: Colin M

Colin M — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:01:02 +0000

@Ken B: “That image was taken when the Moon was still 19 degrees from the Sun… he got the Moon five minutes before new”

The image BA displayed in his post was taken 19 degrees from the sun. This *isn’t* the same image that was taken five minutes before new. THat image is here:

http://www.mondatlas.de/other/martinel/sicheln2008/mai/1408_cropped.jpg

As for schweinewolke, it’s definitely something cloud-related — the English page I linked to in my previous post (see above) says the following:

“Though clouds moved in, we managed to capture the crescent up till 14:13 CEST (UT+2), only 5 minutes from conjunction, at an elongation of 4.58°. … Due to clouds, the earliest image after conjunction was not made before 15:02 CEST, some 44 minutes after conjunction. The rotation of the crescent is well visible, when comparing with earlier images.”

By: Ken B.

Ken B. — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:48:18 +0000

Richard B. Drumm:

If he’d waited 5 more minutes to snap his photo he’d have a record that would have to stand -FOREVER- !!!

The linked article says:

And if there hadn’t been a “Schweinewolke” at the wrong moment, the first-ever image of the crescent at the very moment of new moon would have been no problem, too.

(So, what does “Schweinewolke” mean? A literal translation is “pig cloud”.)