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La guía definitiva para observar la
luna
23 de abril de 2021

¡La luna! ¡La luna! Oh, cómo disfrutamos todos mirando la Luna. La Luna es hermosa y
tranquilizadora, pero misteriosa y premonitoria. A lo largo de la historia, la Luna ha inspirado
tradiciones y leyendas. Algunas culturas creían que la Luna poseía poderes míticos y tortuosos
que podían afectar el comportamiento de uno, lo que dio lugar a la palabra "lunático", que
deriva del nombre latino de la Luna, "Luna". Y, por supuesto, se dice que criaturas míticas como
hombres lobo y vampiros merodean bajo la luz de la luna llena.

La Luna ayuda a dar forma a la vida y es vital para el medio ambiente aquí en la Tierra. Las
pequeñas criaturas nocturnas aprovechan la luz natural de la luna para rastrear el suelo en
busca de su próxima comida mientras están atentos a los depredadores que pueden querer
hacer una comida con ellos. Los excursionistas descarriados que se pierden en el bosque
pueden usar la luz de la luna para encontrar el camino a casa. A veces, la Luna se mueve frente
al Sol, sumergiendo temporalmente partes del mundo en una espeluznante oscuridad mientras
su sombra atraviesa la superficie de la Tierra. La humanidad ha estado desconcertada por la
Luna desde que los humanos aparecieron por primera vez en la Tierra y seguirá estando así
mientras haya una Luna en el cielo.

No es de extrañar que nos atraiga la Luna; para muchos de nosotros, ha despertado nuestra
imaginación desde una edad muy temprana. Con innumerables poemas, canciones infantiles y
canciones escritas sobre la Luna, juega un papel profundo en nuestras vidas, nos demos cuenta
o no. Si es un recién llegado a la astronomía o un aficionado a la Luna, esta guía lo ayudará a
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celestial más cercano en el espacio: ¡su primer objetivo
de observación, la Luna!
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La Luna es el objetivo de observación más fácil y popular para comenzar su viaje astronómico.
Es el único objeto celeste en el que se pueden ver detalles de la superficie sin ayuda óptica.
Cada noche, puede realizar un seguimiento de la fase de la Luna a medida que pasa por su ciclo
lunar mensual con solo usar sus ojos desnudos. Las características de la superficie, como
yeguas gris oscuro y tierras altas reflectantes blancas, son fácilmente visibles sin ayuda óptica.

El uso de un binocular pequeño de 7x u 8x revelará muchos más detalles de la superficie,


incluidos los cráteres, sin dejar de ser fácil de sostener con la mínima agitación. Un binocular
más grande, como un modelo de 15x o 20x, proporcionará un mayor aumento, pero será más
susceptible a las sacudidas y debe montarse en un trípode para obtener vistas más estables.

Un telescopio apuntando hacia la Luna revelará increíbles características de la superficie que


cobrarán vida con detalle. Debido a que la Luna es tan grande y brillante, no necesita el equipo
más costoso para disfrutar de la observación de la Luna; ¡incluso un pequeño telescopio básico
de 60 mm a 70x le brindará vistas impresionantes y lo mantendrá explorando durante horas!

A medida que la Luna se mueve en su órbita alrededor de la Tierra, notará cómo la luz del sol
incide sobre su superficie desde diferentes ángulos, lo que hace que crezca o crezca. Los
cráteres y las cadenas montañosas comenzarán a mostrar detalles más dramáticos a medida
que se definan gracias a las sombras cada vez mayores. El mejor momento para observar la
superficie de la Luna es unos pocos días después de la fase del primer cuarto. En este
momento, los cráteres de la Luna se vuelven más evidentes desde su región sur. Los detalles
"aparecerán", especialmente cerca del terminador (la línea divisoria entre la noche y el día en la
superficie lunar).

Esto contradice la antigua creencia de que la Luna llena es el mejor momento para observar la
Luna. Si bien es cierto que la Luna es muy pintoresca durante su fase llena, en realidad no es el
mejor momento para observar las características lunares. ¿Por qué? La luz del sol que golpea la
Luna de frente lava la mayor parte de la superficie con su intenso resplandor. Una luna llena
puede ser incómodamente brillante cuando se ve a través de la óptica, pero un filtro lunar, un
filtro de densidad neutra o un filtro polarizador reducirán el resplandor para una visualización
cómoda. Las características de la superficie, como los impresionantes rayos de impacto del
cráter Tycho, se distinguen fácilmente cuando se usan filtros como estos:

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Un mapa lunar detallado, como el Mapa de la Luna del observador de Celestron, es una
herramienta invaluable para ayudarlo a identificar rápidamente objetivos
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que pueda explorarlos por sí mismo. Las ubicaciones de las cadenas montañosas, mares, valles
y arroyos más fascinantes dejarán de ser un misterio con un mapa a tu lado:

Principales objetivos de observación lunar

Montes Apenninus

Montes Apenninus, también conocida como la Cordillera de los


Apeninos, lleva el nombre de las montañas de los Apeninos en
Italia. Se formó cuando se creó la cuenca del Mare Imbrium
hace casi cuatro mil millones de años. Las montañas de los
Apeninos se extienden a lo largo de 370 millas e incluyen más
de 3000 picos. El pico más alto es Mons Huygens. Medido
desde su base hasta su pico, alcanza los 18,000 pies. Utilice un
telescopio de gran aumento para explorar esta región.

Aristarchus

Aristarchus, llamado así por el astrónomo griego Aristarchus


de Samos, es un cráter de impacto lunar de reflectancia
bastante espectacular que se encuentra en la sección noroeste
del lado visible de la Luna. Es una formación joven, de
aproximadamente 450 millones de años y se considera la más
brillante de las grandes formaciones de la superficie lunar. ¡El
cráter es más profundo que el Gran Cañón! Además, busque el
valle o rille sinuoso más grande junto a Aristarchus llamado
Schroter's Valley. Tiene forma de renacuajo con una cola larga.

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​Nombrado en honor al sacerdote jesuita Christopher Clavius,


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Clavius ​es la segunda formación de cráteres más grande de la

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Luna y se encuentra entre las más antiguas. Ubicado en las


tierras altas del sur hacia el sur y cerca del cráter Tycho,
Clavius ​tiene más de 143 millas de diámetro y se ve mejor con
binoculares y telescopios pequeños durante las fases del
primer y tercer cuarto de la Luna. El Observatorio
Estratosférico de Astronomía Infrarroja (SOFIA) detectó
moléculas de agua específicas de H2O en el suelo del cráter
Clavius.  

copérnico

Nombrado en honor al astrónomo Nicolaus Copernicus,


Copernicus es uno de los cráteres de impacto más famosos de
la Luna con un prominente sistema de rayos brillantes que se
extiende hasta 500 millas. Copérnico mide 58 millas de ancho
con una gran profundidad de 12,467 pies. Su borde exterior le
da una forma hexagonal notable. Justo fuera del centro dentro
de su cráter, una montaña lunar se eleva 3,940 pies sobre el
suelo del cráter. Use binoculares para detectar el cráter, pero
un telescopio le proporcionará una vista de "astronauta".

Lunares X y V

Los infames Lunar X y Lunar V son un par de pequeñas y


espeluznantes ilusiones ópticas en la Luna, visibles solo
cuando la luz del sol cae en el momento adecuado sobre la
topografía lunar. Lunar X, también conocido como el cráter
Purbach o Werner Cross, aparece alrededor del primer
trimestre cerca del terminador entre los cráteres La Caille,
Purbach y Blanchinus. Lunar X solo es visible cuando el
amanecer está ocurriendo sobre esta región, ¡solo cuatro
horas cortas! Ocurriendo al mismo tiempo que Lunar X, Lunar
V se encuentra más al norte en la región de Mare Vaporum y
forma la letra "V". Es un poco más grande que Lunar X y se
encuentra en la línea de terminación. ¡Ponte a prueba para
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detectar ambas letras al mismo tiempo!
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Yegua Crisium

Mare Crisium, o el nombre en inglés de Sea of ​Crisis, es una


gran cuenca de impacto de asteroides de 345 millas de ancho
ubicada al noreste de Mare Tranquillitatis (Mar de la
Tranquilidad). Mare Crisium es la única yegua importante que
no está conectada a ningún otro sistema de yeguas grandes en
el lado frontal de la Luna. Es visible con binoculares, pero se ve
mejor con un telescopio.

Petavius

Petavius, también conocido como el "cráter del reloj", es un


cráter de impacto inusual de doble pared ubicado cerca del
extremo sureste de la Luna y se ve mejor durante unos días
después de la Luna nueva. Tiene una rille larga y recta llamada
Rimae Petavius, que representa el minutero largo del reloj.
Una fisura más pequeña representa la manecilla de la hora
corta. ¿Qué hora es? ¡Es hora de usar tu telescopio para ver por
ti mismo!

Platón

Nombrado en honor al antiguo filósofo griego Platón, este gran


cráter de impacto lleno de lava tiene aproximadamente 68
millas de diámetro y se ve de manera prominente cerca de la
sección norte superior de la Luna. Plato tiene uno de los suelos
de cráter más oscuros y lisos. El astrónomo polaco Johannes
Hevelius lo llamó el "Gran Lago Negro". Use un telescopio
pequeño con un aumento de aproximadamente 100x para
observar una sección triangular del borde occidental que
parece haberse roto cuando un asteroide impactó contra el
cráter.

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El Muro Recto, más formalmente conocido como Rupes Recta,


o acantilado recto en latín, es una falla superficial lineal a gran
escala de más de 62 millas de largo, entre 1.2 y 1.9 millas de
ancho, y varía de 787 pies a 984 pies de altura. Es un blanco
fácil para los telescopios pequeños que aparecen como una
pequeña línea negra (sombra) en el suelo de Mare Nubium
aproximadamente uno o dos días después del primer
trimestre. Cuando la luz del sol incide en la Pared Recta desde
el lado opuesto cerca del Tercer Cuarto, el acantilado se ve
blanco. Straight Wall es un objetivo muy popular para los
astrónomos aficionados. ¡No te pierdas este!

Schiller

Schiller es un cráter alargado de aspecto inusual con forma de


huella de zapato ovalada. Está ubicado en el borde suroeste de
la Luna, un área conocida por estar muy ocupada con cráteres
de impacto. Schiller tiene aproximadamente 112 millas de
largo y tiene un borde de cráter bien definido. Es un buen
objetivo para los telescopios debido a su forma y proximidad al
borde sur de la Luna.

seno iridum

Latín para Bay of Rainbows, Sinus Iridum es un cráter de


impacto de asteroide con forma de letra "C", que se funde en
una vasta llanura de lava llamada Mare Imbrium. Sinus Iridum
está ubicado en el borde noroeste de la Luna y se extiende por
casi 250 millas. Su borde semicircular está formado por una
cadena montañosa llamada Montes Jura.

Tycho
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Named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Tycho is a
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is one of the most prominent craters on the Moon. It’s very
noticeable as a bright “button,” or the “Lady
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pendant.” Located on the Moon’s southern highlands, Tycho’s

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most striking features are the bright rays of ejected material


that streak out over 1,600 miles—appearing like a dazzling
pendant. Inside the crater is a triangular shaped central
mountain rising nearly a mile high. Tycho and its rays are best
seen during full Moon with your binoculars or telescope.

Moon Facts
• The Moon was formed shortly after the Earth, about 4.5 billion years ago. There are several
theories of how the Moon was formed. Some scientists believe it was captured by the Earth’s
gravity while passing nearby. However, most present-day scientists theorize that early on in
the Solar System’s existence, a wandering Mars-sized planet crashed into Earth. This fiery
collision hypothesis known as Theia Impact or “Big Splash,” may have resulted in huge
amounts of vaporized debris ejected into space that eventually condensed to form the Moon.
Imagine having ringside seats to witness that cosmic collision!
• Like most objects in the Solar System, the Moon orbits around Earth in an elliptical pattern. At
its closest approach (perigee), it comes within 225,623 miles. At its farthest approach
(apogee), it is 252,088 miles away from Earth. On average, the distance from Earth to the
Moon is approximately 238,855 miles away.
• The Moon’s diameter is 2,159 miles, about the same distance from Los Angeles to Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
• The Moon is our closest neighbor in the Solar System. Although it may appear to be the same
size as the Sun as seen from Earth, this is a sheer coincidence. The Sun’s diameter is about
400 times larger than that of the Moon, but it is also about 400 times farther away!
• The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and is the fifth largest moon in the Solar System. It’s
even larger than the dwarf planet, Pluto.
• There is hardly any erosion visible on the Moon’s surface features because there is no wind
and no weather. Footprints from astronauts who once walked on the Moon in the 1960s and
1970s are still there today and will not be going anywhere unless there is a meteor strike or
future astronauts or spacecraft trample them.
• The Moon’s atmosphere is called the exosphere. Although it does not contain any oxygen for
humans to breathe, scientists have discovered a very thin layer of gases including sodium and
potassium not found in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, or Mars.
• October 26, 2020, NASA announced that its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
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the sunlit surface of the moon. Previously, it was thought the
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• Temperatures on the moon are extreme, ranging from boiling hot to freezing cold, depending
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on which side of the Moon is in sunlight or darkness. Highs can hit 260 degrees Fahrenheit,

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while lows can dip to a frigid minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit.


• Earth’s tides—the rise and fall of ocean levels worldwide—occur as a result of the Moon’s and
Sun’s gravitational attraction. The Moon’s pull causes the ocean to bulge towards it and is
matched by a slightly smaller bulge on the opposite side of Earth. This results in a high tide.
When the Sun, Moon, and Earth are all aligned, a Spring Tide occurs, the highest high tide
and lowest low tide possible. Spring Tides occur during a new and full Moon. Neap Tides
occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a 90-degree angle to each other, during a first
quarter and third quarter Moon. The bulges from the ocean cancel each other out, and both
high tide and low tide are much weaker. Next time you observe the Moon’s phase, you’ll have
an idea of what’s taking place in the ocean.
• There is no such thing as the “Dark Side of the Moon,” regardless of the popular Pink Floyd
song. The front and back sides of the Moon receive equal amount of sunlight. However, from
Earth, we can only view one side of the Moon due, once again, to an odd coincidence. The
Moon takes precisely 27.3 days to complete one revolution around the Earth and precisely
27.3 days to complete one rotation on its axis. This is called tidal locking. At times, a small
part of the “dark side” (approximately 5%) is visible due to a wobble or lunar libration as the
Moon orbits. In all, we can see about 59% of the lunar surface.
• Although it takes 27.3 days for the Moon to complete a revolution, it takes 29.5 days to
change from new Moon to new Moon as the Earth is also moving along in its orbit around the
Sun.
• In 1959, the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 3, transmitted the first grainy images of the Moon’s far
side and humans had their first glimpse of this hidden lunar surface. In 1968, Apollo 8
astronauts became the first humans to see the far side firsthand when they orbited the
Moon.
• The United States completed six crewed Apollo missions to the Moon’s surface and landed 12
astronauts in all from 1969 to 1972: Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Apollo 13 was scheduled
to land on the Moon but suffered a major explosion that damaged the Service Module. All
three Apollo 13 astronauts orbited the Moon and returned to Earth safely.
• Popular myth tells us that the Moon is made of cheese. This is, in fact, a cheesy fable.

Special Lunar Phenomena to Explore


Most observers starting out in amateur astronomy seek out the Moon as their first observing
target. It’s big, bright, and easy to find on almost any night. But did you know that there are
many lunar phenomena that occur—regularly or on occasion—that you can observe right from
your own backyard?
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Earthshine occurs when sunlight is reflected gracias
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light of Earthshine can faintly illuminate the “night” side of the


Moon’s surface, revealing some of its surface markings.
Earthshine is best observed a few days before and after a new
Moon, during its waxing or waning crescent stages after sunset
or before sunrise in deep twilight. A binocular or telescope is
recommended.

Lunar Halo

A lunar halo is caused by the refraction of moonlight by ice


crystals in thin, high altitude cirrus clouds. This phenomenon
can appear in any season and makes a 22-degree circle around
a deep gibbous or full Moon. The halo is usually white in color
but may sometimes show faint colors of the rainbow.
According to folklore, a ring around the Moon was said to be a
sign that rain was on the way. While this could be true because
cirrus clouds generally precede storm systems, it is not
guaranteed. Use your unaided eyes to observe this cool
celestial delight!

Lunar Occultation

A lunar occultation takes place when the Moon passes in front


of a distant object such as a planet or star. The Moon occults
dim stars regularly, but these occultations are not observable
due to Moon’s overwhelming brightness. But occasionally, the
Moon passes in front of a bright star such as Spica or
Aldebaran and planets such as Mars or Jupiter. These events
are best seen through a telescope and are fun to watch. The
star or planet seems to disappear behind the Moon, only to
reappear a short time later.

Lunar Conjunction
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A lunar conjunction occurs when the Moon comes within close
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evening or morning sky. The most common conjunctions occur
during the Moon’s waxing or waning crescent
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famous lunar conjunction occurred back in 2008 when the

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Moon, Jupiter and Venus came together to form a smiley or sad


face depending on your location.

Solar Eclipses

A solar eclipse can only take place when the Moon is new and
comes between the Sun and Earth to cast its shadow (umbra)
on the Earth. However, a solar eclipse does not take place each
new Moon because the Moon’s orbit is tilted relative to Earth’s
orbit. Therefore, the Moon’s shadow often passes above or
below Earth. There are three types of solar eclipses: total,
annular (ring of fire), and partial. Remember, the only time it
is safe to observe a solar eclipse with your unaided eyes is
during totality. Under no circumstances should you ever
observe an annular or partial eclipse without safe solar glasses
or through a proper solar filter for your optics. The next
annular eclipse visible in the US will take place on October 14,
2023. The next total solar eclipse visible in the US will take
place six months later, on April 8, 2024. The two paths will
cross through the state of Texas.

Lunar Eclipses

A lunar eclipse can only take place during a Full Moon when
the Earth is between the Sun and Moon, and the Moon moves
into the Earth’s shadow. Anyone located on the night side of
Earth will be able to witness the eclipse, and it will be
completely safe to do so. No eye protection is required. There
are three types of lunar eclipses: total, partial, and penumbral.
Unlike a total solar eclipse where totality only lasts a few
minutes, the length of totality during a total lunar eclipse can
last longer than 90 minutes. The Earth also casts a lighter
shadow called the penumbra. If it touches the Moon, any
darkening will most likely be seen if the Moon is closer to the
umbra shadow zone. In most penumbral eclipses, the shadow
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is quite subtle, so that most people will hardly notice that a
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Moon Illusion

When we watch the Moon rise, it often appears much larger


when it is close to the horizon than when it is high overhead.
This celestial phenomenon is known as the “Moon illusion.”
Watching a huge yellow-orange Moon rising above buildings,
treetops, or distant mountains is something to behold. But why
does this optical illusion occur?

One theory is that the Moon looks bigger because there are
smaller land objects around to compare it with. When the
Moon is higher up in the sky, there isn’t anything other than
stars or planets to compare it with. In modern times,
psychologists concluded that the Moon illusion is just a trick of
the imagination.

There are a few ways you can see for yourself that the Moon is
the same size no matter where it is in the sky. Next time you
see the Moon rise, take several photos of it, and later take
photos of the Moon after several hours have passed. You can
see for yourself that the Moon is the same size in both images.
You can also use a paperclip to bend and shape to the Moon’s
outline and compare it again several hours later. These simple
experiments are easy to do, and you’ll see for yourself that
some things are not always what they seem.

Faces on the Moon


When looking up at the full Moon, you may notice many light and dark areas. The lighter areas
are referred to as highlands while darker areas are volcanic in nature, called maria, which is
Latin for seas. We may think we can see various patterns, such as the famous “Man on the
Moon,” or the “Lady on the Moon,” because our brains are trained to recognize face shapes in
our surroundings. The next time you’re out moongazing, have fun with this! If you let your
imagination run wild, you may begin to see other unique shapes form such as a rabbit, jack-o’-
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lantern, and more!
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Phases of the Moon


As the Moon orbits around Earth, sunlight hits different parts, causing it to appear to change
shape. The Moon goes through a cycle of phases from new Moon to full Moon and back to new
Moon again. This cycle takes about 29.5 days, and the entire cycle can be broken down into
eight phases. They are:

New Moon: When the Moon is between the Earth and Sun and
is not visible

Waxing Crescent: Seen after dusk as a thin crescent of light


and begins to move away from the Sun.

First Quarter: The Moon continues to grow and appears half


lit.

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Política de privacidad Waxing Gibbous: The Moon becomes bigger and brighter and
appears somewhere between a first quarter and full Moon.
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Full Moon: When the Sun and Moon are aligned on opposite
sides of Earth, and the Moon’s face is fully illuminated.

Waning Gibbous: The Moon begins to shrink after a full Moon


and appears somewhere between a full and third quarter
Moon.

Third Quarter: The Moon continues to shrink and appears half


lit.

Waning Crescent: Seen prior to dawn as a thin crescent of


light as it moves closer to the Sun.

Monthly Moon Names


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Every 29.5 days, we are rewarded with a beautiful, bright, full Moon. We often refer to the
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date back hundreds of years when Native Americans used the Moon to help keep track of time
and the seasonal changes in weather. As of 1955, the most popular OK
Moon names
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added to The Farmer’s Almanac. For example, the Harvest Moon, which takes place closest to

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the Autumnal Equinox, is famous for the extra moonlight it provides on fall evenings. The extra
light aided farmers as they harvested their summertime crops. The 12 full Moons of the Rupes
year include:

• January’s Moon: Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon
• February’s Moon: Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Storm Moon, Chaste Moon
• March’s Moon: Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Lenten Moon
• April’s Moon: Pink Moon, Seed Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon
• May’s Moon: Flower Moon, Milk Moon, Corn Planting Moon
• June’s Moon: Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon
• July’s Moon: Buck Moon, Hay Moon, Thunder Moon
• August’s Moon: Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon
• September’s Moon: Harvest Moon, Full Corn Moon
• October’s Moon: Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon
• November’s Moon: Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon
• December’s Moon: Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Long Nights Moon

Other Moon Names


In addition to the traditional 12 Moon names of the year, there are other unique names for
different Moon events:

A New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are on the same
side of the Earth, and we cannot see the front facing side
because it is not lit up by the Sun. On that day, the Sun and
New Moon
Moon rise and set near the same time, although the Moon will
usually pass above or below the Sun. A New Moon is opposite
of a full Moon in its monthly orbit.

A Black Moon refers to an additional New Moon that appears


in a month, in a season, or an absence of a full Moon in the
month.  Due to February having the fewest days, about once

Black Moon every 19 years, February does not have a full Moon. This
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phenomenon also creates two Blue Moons: one in January and
one in
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Blue Moon
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A Blue Moon does not actually turn a shade of blue; it is the


second full Moon that appears in one calendar month. Since a
full Moon occurs every 29.5 days and most months are 30 days
long, it’s possible to get two full Moons in a month but only
“once in a Blue Moon!” There is also a seasonal Blue Moon,
which occurs when there are four Full Moons in an
astronomical season. A Seasonal Blue Moon will occur on
August 22, 2021.

Although the Moon never turns blue, it can take on another


hue. A Red or Blood Moon is another name for a total lunar
eclipse. When the Moon passes completely through the Earth's
Red/Blood Moon dark shadow, the umbra, the Moon appears rusty red, hence
the name. The next total lunar eclipse visible from the US will
occur on May 26, 2021.

A Supermoon is a full Moon that coincides with perigee (the


closest the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit). The
Supermoon is slightly larger than an average full Moon as
observed from Earth. The technical name is a perigee syzygy or

Supermoon a full Moon at perigee. A full Moon at perigee appears roughly


14% larger in diameter than at apogee (when it is smallest). The
term “Supermoon” was coined in 1979 by American astrologer
Richard Nolle. Supermoons in 2021 will take place on April 27,
May 26, and June 24.

Helpful Observing Hints


Tip #1:

Use an Astronomy Using a detailed Moon map is a great way of learning where to
App or Moon Chart locate these celestial wonders or any other celestial objects
anytime of the year. It may be an old fashion learning tool, but
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it just privacidad
(See link under Observing the Moon.)  The most
modern
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Política de privacidad astronomy apps such as Celestron’s SkyPortal mobile app. This
full featured planetarium app is included with the purchase of
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any Celestron telescope, available from the Apple App Store or

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Google Play. SkyPortal instantly provides new telescope owners


with a wealth of information at their fingertips, including audio
and written descriptions about various objects. It also provides
its celestial coordinates, a real-time sky map, rise and set
times, physical and orbital parameters.

Tip #2:
Steady seeing conditions are critical while observing objects
Seeing Conditions such as planets, the Moon, or double stars, although deep sky
objects such as nebulae and galaxies are less affected by poor
seeing conditions. Avoid nights of bad seeing when our
atmosphere is turbulent, and your lunar targets appear like
shimmering blobs in your telescope’s eyepiece. Start with low
magnification and work your way up if the views remain
steady. During a night of good seeing, you will be amazed how
sharp and detailed lunar features can appear.

Tip #3:

Telescope
Cooldown
Cool your telescope down! Make sure you bring your telescope
outside about an hour or so before you plan to observe to cool
it to ambient temperature. It is important for the telescope to
reach thermal equilibrium with the outside air temperature to
avoid distorted views. Telescopes with large mirrors and lenses
may take longer to properly cool down for the best views.

Tip #4:

Collimation Collimate, collimate, collimate! If you own a Newtonian or


Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, make sure your telescope’s
optics are collimated. It can make a difference when it comes
to discerning fine lunar detail. If the optics are slightly out of
alignment, you may be cheating yourself out of seeing the
clearest and sharpest images.

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We are quite fortunate to have such a beautiful Moon, like an old friend who will always be
there to inspire us. It’s hard to imagine life as we know it without the Moon shining down upon
us. Today, we know more about the Moon than ever before. Countless missions were sent to
study the Moon since the 1950s, and twelve Apollo astronauts successfully walked on the
Moon’s surface and brought home hundreds of pounds of lunar rocks and soil for analysis. But
there is always more to be learned in humankind’s quest for knowledge.

The Moon, with its desolate landscapes, is just waiting to be explored again by a new
generation of backyard astronomers and future astronaut explorers. Next time you observe the
Moon, you may want to think of what Galileo must have felt when he first looked at the Moon
through his modest telescope. There’s no doubt he would be amazed at the lunar views seen
through your telescope and that would give you something to smile about.

To browse Celestron telescopes, binoculars, and accessories that will make your lunar viewing
experience more enjoyable, please click here.

Clear skies and happy Moon viewing! 

Other articles you might be interested in: Ultimate Guide to Observing the Universe

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