Proceedings of The 3rd Asian Physics Symposium (APS 2009)

July 22 – 23, 2009, Bandung, Indonesia

Study on the Youngest, the Thinnest Record of Lunar Crescent Visibility

Based on Metonic Membership

Novi Sopwan1, Moedji Raharto2

1
Astronomy Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Jl. Ganesha No. 10 Bandung, Indonesia 40132
2
Astronomy Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Jl. Ganesha No. 10 Bandung, Indonesia 40132
e-mail address: nsopwan@yahoo.com, moedji@as.itb.ac.id

Abstract
The youngest lunar crescent for the first visibility is attributed to lunar crescent on February 25, 1990
observed by Pierce in Collins Gap, Tennese, USA (83º 30’ West, +35º36’ North, the next record is lunar crescent
on January 20, 1996 observed by naked eye observation from Arizona (110º 57’52,20” West, +32º25’12,72” North)
with moon age of 12 hours and 7 minutes (after conjunction). Later the youngest lunar crescent for the first visibility
is attributed to lunar crescent on September 7, 2002 observed by naked eye observation from Kerman, Iran (56,5o
East, 31,1o North with moon age of 11 hours 37 minutes. The Islamic Lunation number (ILn) of the youngest lunar
crescent on February 25, 1990 ILn 16916, it belongs to to lunar crescent in the Metonic group of Islamic Lunation
Variant Number (ILVn) 231. The Islamic Lunation number (ILn) of the youngest lunar crescent on January, 20,
1996 is ILn 16989, it belongs to lunar crescent in the Metonic group of Islamic Lunation Variant Number (ILVn) 69
The Islamic Lunation number (ILn) of the later youngest lunar crescent on September 7, 2002 is ILn 17071, it
belongs to lunar crescent in the Metonic group of Islamic Lunation Variant Number (ILVn) 151. We present the
characteristic of the three Metonic groups (ILVn 231, 69 and 151) of hilal and discuss the implication for further
observation.

Keywords : Youngest lunar crescent, Metonic, Visibility

Variant Number (ILVn) 231 with the Islamic

1. Introduction
There are some exception for thin lunar
crescent visibility, partly due the geometry position
of the moon, the sun and the earth and the position of
the observer. We would like to study the available
records thin lunar crescent visibility, there are three
lunar crescent visibility (LCV)
1. LCV on February 25, 1990,
2. LCV on January 20, 1996, and
3. LCV on September 7, 2002,
with their Metonic group defined by Raharto (2006).
Lunation Number (ILn) 16916.
The declination of the moon and the sun of
all ILVn 231 member during appearance of the
moon above west horizon in the same day of
conjunction or one day after conjunction are plotted
and provided in figure 1. In most cases the sun is in
the southern hemisphere and the moon is also in the
southern hemisphere with sinusoidal pattern and
gradually moves to positive declination for a long
period of time.
30
Moon dec. 1st day
Declination (deg.)

Moon dec. 2nd day

20 Data Sun
Data Moon
Sun dec. 1st day
10 Sun dec. 2nd day

2. The Data 0

The data of the youngest lunar crescent -10

record are: -20

-30
1. LCV on February 25, 1990 0 50 100 150 200
Data Number

According to Pierce’s observation of young
lunar crescent in Collins Gap, Tennese, USA (83.5
W, 35.6 N), the thin lunar crescent was observed at
the first time while the age of lunar crescent was 15
hours 01 minutes (after conjunction). According to
metonic group, this crescent belongs to Islamic Lunar
Figure 1. The changes pattern of declination of the
Sun and the Moon of thin moon crescent belongs to
ILVn 231 at the time of sunset in Collins Gap.
2. LCV on January 20, 1996

225
226 Novi Sopwan, Moedji Raharto

According to Stamm’s observation of young
lunar crescent in Tucson, Arizona, USA (110°57'
52".20 W, 32°25'12".72 N, LZT = UT-8), the thin
lunar crescent was observed at the first time while the
age of lunar crescent was 12 hours 07 minutes (after
conjunction). The Metonic group of this crescent
belongs to ILVn 069 with ILn 16989.
The declination of the moon and the sun of
all member of ILVn 069 during the appearance of
the moon above west horizon in the same day of
conjunction or one day after conjunction are plotted
and provided in figure 2. The Sun and the Moon in
the southern hemisphere.
30
moon
Declination (deg.)
We search all member of ILVn 231, 069
and 151 from the year of 622 to 3000, based our
calculation the position of the Moon and the Sun
following method developed by Meeus (1983). The
parameters of position of the Sun and the Moon
calculated at the time of sunset in local time at the
day of conjuction and one day after conjunction.
We use the most frequent lunar crescent
observing parameters based on the position of the
Sun and the Moon. The parameters are:
1. Moon’s age: the interval between conjuction and
sunset,
2. DZ: the angular difference in altitude between the
Sun and the Moon,
3. DAZ: the angular difference in azimuth between

data sun
20 data moon
Moon dec. 2nd day
Sun dec. 1st day
the Sun and the Moon,
10 Sun dec. 2nd day
4. Elongation: the angular separation between the
0 Sun and the Moon,and
-10 5. Fraction Illumination of the Moon (f).
-20 DZ, DAZ, elongation parameters are in degrees,
-30
Moon’s age in hours, and fraction illumination in
0 50 100 150 200 percent (%).
Data Number
25
Figure 2. The changes pattern of declination of the 1st day
2nd day

Sun and the Moon of thin moon crescent belongs to 20 f 1%

youngest

ILVn 069 at the time of sunset in Tucson.

DZ (deg.)

north
15 SAAO DZ2
SAA0 DZ1
Ilyas
3. LCV on September 7, 2002 10

5
According to Mirsaeed’s observation of
young lunar crescent in Kerman, Iran (56.°5 E, 31°.1 0
0 5 10 15 20 25
N), the thin lunar crescent was observed at the first DAZ (deg.)
time while the age of lunar crescent was 11 hours 37 Figure 4. DZ Vs DAZ of all member of ILVn 231 at
minutes (after conjunction). Metonic group of this Collins Gap observing place.
crescent belongs to ILVn 151 with ILn 17071.
The declination of the moon and the sun of 25
all member of ILVn 151 during appearance of the 1st day
2nd day
moon above west horizon in the same day of 20 f 1%
data
conjunction or one day after conjunction are plotted
DZ (deg.)

SAAO DZ1
15 SAAO DZ2
and provided in figure 3. The sun in the northern Ilyas

hemisphere and the moon in the northern with 10

gradually moves to negative declination. 5

0
30
moon 0 5 10 15 20 25
Declination (deg.)

data sun DAZ (deg.)

20 data moon
Moon dec. 2nd day
10
Sun dec. 1st day
Sun dec. 2nd day
Figure 5. DZ Vs DAZ of all member of ILVn 069 at
0
Tucson observing place.
-10

-20

-30
0 50 100 150 200
Data Number

Figure 3. The changes pattern of declination of the

Sun and the Moon of thin moon crescent belongs to
ILVn 151 at the time of sunset in Kerman.
 Study on the Youngest, the Thinnest Record of Lunar Crescent Visibility 227

25 25
1st day
2nd day

Elongation (deg.)
youngest 20
20 f 1%
South
DZ (deg.)

SAAO DZ1
15 SAAO DZ2
15
Ilyas 1st day
2nd day
10 10 f 1%
north
youngest
5 5 ODEH DZ3
ODEH DZ2
ODEH DZ1
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25
DAZ (deg.) DZ (deg.)

Figure 6. DZ Vs DAZ of all member of ILVn 151 at Figure 9. Elongation vs DZ of all member of ILVn
Kerman observing place. 151 at Kerman observing place.

To study visibility of three youngest lunar In figure 7, 8, 9, we are plot elongation vs

crescent record, we plot DZ vs DAZ of all member of
ILVn 231, ILVn 069, and ILVn 151 of data in figure
4, 5, and 6. We compare the youngest data in each
ILVn with naked eye Ilyas criterion lunar crescent
visibility developed by Ilyas (curve line), and SAAO
criterions (curve dash-line). SAAO criterions consist
of two curve dash-line, limit of the naked-eye
observation (middle curve dash line) and limit of
observation with optical aid (lowest curve dash-line).
25
Elongation (deg.)
DZ ILVn 231, ILVn 069, and ILVn 151. We
compare the youngest data record each ILVn with
criterion developed by Odeh with constant value of
semi-diameter of the Moon, about 15’. Odeh criterion
consist of three line, Odeh DZ3 (right line) as a limit
of the naked-eye observation, Odeh DZ2 (middle
line) as a limit of the optical aid observation and
could be seen by naked-eye, and Odeh DZ1 (left line)
as a limit of the optical aid observation only.
In figure 10, 11, and 12, we plot fraction
illumination moon vs moon age of all member of

20
ILVn 231, ILVn 069, and ILVn 151. In this graph,
15 we just compare the youngest data record with our
1st day
limit fraction illumination 1%.
10 2nd day
f 1%
north
youngest
5
Fraction Illumination

ODEH DZ3 5.0

ODEH DZ2 1st day
ODEH DZ1 4.5 2nd day
0 4.0 f 1%
youngest
0 5 10 15 20 25 3.5 north
DZ (deg.) 3.0
(%)

2.5
Figure 7. Elongation vs DZ of all member of ILVn 2.0
231 at Collins Gap observing place. 1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
25 0 10 20 30 40 50
Elongation (deg.)

Moon Age (hours)

20

15 Figure 10. Fraction Illumination vs Moon age of all

1st day member of ILVn 231 at Collin Gaps observing place
10 2nd day
Fraction Illumination

f 1% 5.0
youngest 4.5 1st day
5 ODEH DZ3 2nd day
ODEH DZ2 4.0 f 1%
ODEH DZ1 3.5 youngest
0 3.0
(%)

0 5 10 15 20 25 2.5
DZ (deg.) 2.0
Figure 8. Elongation vs DZ of all member of ILVn 1.5
1.0
069 at Tucson observing place. 0.5
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Moon Age (hours)

Figure 11. Fraction Illumination vs Moon age of all

member of ILVn 069 at Tucson observing place.
228
5.0
Fraction Illumination
4.5
4.0
1st day
2nd day
3.5 f 1%
youngest
3.0
(%)
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0 10 20 30
Moon Age (hours)
Figure 12. Fraction Illumination vs Moon age of all
member of ILVn 151 at Kerman observing place.
Our calculation data are young lunar
crescent that occurred in the day of conjunction and
one day after it. In the day of conjunction, we
exclude lunar crescent with negative altitude at the
time of sunset or the time of moonset before the time
of sunset, and the time of conjunction after the time
of sunset.
In each graph, we are plot all data of lunar
crescent (1st day and 2nd day), the youngest data
record, f ≈ 1% as our preliminary criteria of naked-
eye observation, comparison criteria (Ilyas, SAAO,
and Odeh), and the data that moon in south or north
hemisphere.
3. Discussion
All youngest data record taken almost in the
same geographical latitude, Collins Gap 35.6 N,
Tucson,32.4 N and Kerman 31.1 N. If we compare
with their age record, 15 hours 01 minutes at Collins
Gap, 12 hours 07 minutes at Tucson, and 11 hours 37
minutes at Kerman, there is a linear relationship
between moon age and latitude observer. It is
necessary to examine more detail about that relation.
The position of the Sun and the Moon in the
sky affect to the visibility parameters pattern. We can
see the parameters pattern for DZ vs DAZ and as
well as for elongation vs DZ at Collins Gap and
Tucson, both are almost similar, contrary to
parameters pattern at Kerman. Its because the Sun
Novi Sopwan, Moedji Raharto
position at Kerman (September) is far away from
Collins Gap (February) and Tucson (January), see
figure 1, 2, and 3.
The youngest data record observer closed to
one of the maximum declination, the different of
declination between the Sun and the Moon is almost
maximum. At Kerman, youngest data record
40 50
observed at minimum declination differences because
the Sun located at northern hemisphere. At Collins
Gap and Tucson needs more separation differences
because the Sun located at Southern hemisphere
while the observer in the northern hemisphere.
4. Conclusions
Based on the comparison with well developed criteria
(Ilyas, SAAO and Odeh) the youngest record lunar
crescent below criterion of naked-eye observation.
All the three youngest record of lunar crescent locate
in area of optical aid observation of the moon
crescent.
5. Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thanks to Alumni
Association of Institut Teknologi Bandung (IA –
ITB) for financial support this research through
Institute of Research and Community Services
(LPPM) and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural
Sciences (FMIPA) Institut Teknologi Bandung.
References
1. Odeh, Mohammad SH, 2004, New Criterion for
Lunar Crescent Visibility, Experimental
Astronomy 18: 39-64.
2. Raharto, M., (2006), A Study of Metonic Cycle
on Hilal Visibility, Proceedings of ICMNS 2006,
p. 1240.
3. Peppin, M. Barlow, 1996, In Quest of the
Youngest Moon, Sky and telescope vol 92, Des
1996, p 104 -106.
4. Caldwell, J., Laney, C., 2001, First Visibility of
the Lunar Crescent, SAAO, African Skies 5.