Looking for the Idd Crescent and a Comet in July Night Skies over Tanzania

By Dr. N. T. Jiwaji,
ntjiwaji@yahoo.com
The Moon is the most prominent astronomical object in the night sky, so much so that we often
on!t notice how it is changing ay by ay. "or half the month you will not e#en see it unless
you are a late sleeper or #ery early riser. $nce a month it enters the night sky as a beautifully
crafte crescent low near the hori%on in the western skies in the e#ening just after sunset. $#er
the ne&t '( ays it shifts by about ') egrees e#ery night, growing in si%e an brightening until it
appears on the opposite sie of the sky. *t rises majestically o#er the eastern hori%on as a bright
"ull Moon while the +un sets in the west.
The Moon has been use to mark the lunar month for many societies aroun the worl, starting
from Babylonians. Muslims, for e&ample obser#e the "irst ,rescent Moon to start an en each
lunar month. Being an astronomical object, an using the e#elopments in science an
technology a#ailable toay, the Moon has been stuie by many scholars to etermine its
position, si%e an shape to assist in the obser#ation of the "irst ,rescent. This is the first #isible
crescent after the New Moon. The New Moon marks its longituinal alignment with the +un,
hence impossible to see.
- "irst ,rescent is a small thin crescent, close to the bright western hori%on sky at sunset. *i is
not possible to contrast the im brightness of the "irst ,rescent Moon against the bright sunset
sky unless the crescent is sufficiently progresse in its orbit an makes a sufficient angle in the
sky abo#e the setting +un an abo#e the hori%on. This limiting angle, known as the Danjon
limit, was stuie by the "rench -strophysicist of that name, who first use scientific metho in
'./0 to measure the astronomical limit of #isibility of the "irst ,rescent. Many other
astronomers ha#e followe up measurements of these obser#ations. The currently accepte limit
of #isibility of the "irst ,rescent #aries between estimates of more than 1 egrees to 2 egrees
away from the +un at sunset. 3#en at these limits it is e&tremely ifficult to obser#e unless the
position its e&pecte position is use to focus the search. *t is e&tremely angerous to use a
telescope uner these conitions to obser#e since any part of the +un if abo#e the hori%on can
instantly amage the eyes.
The ne&t New Moon will occur on +unay 02th July at )'4(0 5rs after minight. By time it is
+unset of that ay, it will ha#e progresse by only 6 egrees away from the +un at sunset.
Though it is just within the #isibility limit it will allow only a fi#e minute winow of fleeting
obser#ation by the time it rops below its 1 egree #isibility limit an a few more minutes before
it sets. None of the lanmasses of our worl to our west 7e.g. The -mericas8 will be sufficiently
far away for the Moon to progress significantly beyon the Danjon limit within the ay of 02th
July.
By sunset of the ne&t ay, Monay 09th, the crescent will be far higher an sufficiently away
from the +un to become clearly #isible in the western sky just after sunset, an will pro#ie
nearly an hour of obser#ation time before it sets below the hori%on.
-nother interesting astronomical object that has recently appeare in the night sky is the
appearance of the comet :Jac;ues< in the night sky just before sunrise. *t has reappeare after
rouning the +un in its elongate orbit from epths of the outer solar system. *t is at magnitue
=6 which is just #isible to nake eyes in ark skies but it is best to scan for it using a pair of
binoculars or a e#en small telescope. *t can be seen before sunrise an just before the +un rises,
it will be in about 01 egrees abo#e the hori%on an about ') egrees abo#e the e&tremely bright
>enus an close to a bright star forming one of the horns of the Taurus 7Bull8 ,onstellation.
-s ays go by, though bright >enus will slie lower towars the eastern hori%on, the comet will
continue to rise into the arker parts of the awn sky so shoul be easier to locate. *ts closest
approach to 3arth occurs on -ugust 0. when it will be about 91 million kilometers from us. ?e
ha#e more than enough time to plan an early wake ay an obser#e this rare sight. @se the
opportunity of the Aersei meteor shower on '0B'/ -ugust to kill two birs with one stone. -t
this time, the comet will be ;uite high in the sky in the Aerseus constellation though the bright
Moon can reuce nake eye #iewing. ?e will be following the progress of comet Jac;ues
through our -stronomy *n Tan%ania website4 http4CCwww.astronomyintan%ania.or.t%
Det another astronomical object worth following in the early e#ening skies is the re planet
Mars. +ince it is close to 3arth, its mo#ement in its orbit shows up as a significant mo#ement in
the sky across the backgroun stars. The wor :planets< is eri#e from the Ereek wor
:wanerers< as planets were obser#e to waner, i.e. mo#e across the backgroun of stationary
stars. -t the moment Mars is close to a bright star +pica in the >irgo constellation.
-t the moment, Mars an +pica are separate by about one egree, which is the amount of sky
that woul be co#ere up if you hel your ine& finger at an armBlength. -s ays go by you will
be able to see a clear separation of these two stars an you can estimate that Mars an +pica will
be separate far more than your fingerBwith. By the en of the month the pair will be more than
fi#e fingerBwiths apart. By the en of ne&t month Mars will be close to +aturn which oes not
mo#e significantly since it is much farther away from us.
+aturn is close to o#erhea %enith skies near Mars an near the three stars forming the mouth of
+corpio constellation. *t shines with a sharp brightness an can be istinguishe from nearby
stars by comparing its steay light with that of the twinkling of stars. Through at telescope,
+aturn is one of the most beautiful objects you can see in the @ni#erse.
The southern skies are fille with #ery bright stars that woul be har to hieF The north an
south irection pointers, that is the Big Dipper an the +outhern ,ross, are still high enough in
the e#ening skies an can be use to mark the northBsouth irection #ery well. +corpius in the
ominant constellation this month, occupying the o#erhea e#ening sky with its three stars
forming its tentacles, the re star -ntares in its neck an a long wining tail that ens in a close
pair forming the sting. +corpius is the only constellation that oes full justice to its namesake,
the scorpion an is unmistakable to e#en a casual starga%er. Below +corpius, try to ientify
+agittarius 7the archer8. This constellation marks the irection of the center of our Milky ?ay
gala&y an you will notice ense concentration of stars here. The ban marking the Milky ?ay
contains numerous stars an ust patches an stretches from the southwest, passing through the
+outhern ,ross an +agittarius an upto ,ygnus 7the swan8 in the northeast. Geo 7the lion8 with
its istincti#e in#erte ;uestion mark hea is low in the western hori%on an will be lost after this
month.
-mong the brightest stars noticeable in the July skies are4 -lpha an Beta ,entauri in the south
form the pair that points continuously towars the +outhern ,rossH the fourth brightest star
-rcturus is o#erhea towars the north an the fifth brightest star >ega rises in the northeast.
$ther bright stars you will easily notice are -ltair which rises in the east an +pica, the brightest
star in the >irgo constellation can be seen almost o#erhea towars the west.
The *nternational +pace +tation 7*++8 will pro#ie a satellite show on /' July an ' -ugust when
it will rise from southwest hori%on an the football si%e space station will glie as a bright star
across the sky towars northeast o#er si& minutes. $n /' July it will start its flyby at 24/(pm
an will keep to the western sky rising to a ma&imum of (1 egrees, while on ' -ugust it will
appear from 64(1pm an will glie in the eastern sky rising to 61 egrees abo#e the hori%on.
More accurate times an irections can be foun at http4CChea#ensBabo#e.com by inputting your
location coorinates.
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