Who will be the first to spot the August New Moon with naked eyes after sunset? The Dark Moon will be in geocentric longitudinal conjunction with the Sun on 2008 AUG 01 at 10:13 UT (05:13 CDT). The first opportunity for North Americans will come on August 2. Venus, Saturn and Regulus will serve as aids. As we move into the months surrounding the autumnal equinox, New Moon spotting is becoming more difficult for northern observers as the twilight ecliptic tilts toward a less favorable position.
I’ve created a graphic previewing the western sky as viewed from Chicagoland 25 minutes after sunset on August 2, although it should well serve most North Americans. The Moon will be visible about 7° to the left of Venus. The graphic can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Photos or descriptions of the August New Moon would be welcome additions to this thread. Please include the date, time, time zone and location. Good Luck!
Below is a photo I took earlier this month on 2008 JUL 03 of the Moon aged 23:49 hrs. The slender crescent is toward the right just above the clouds.
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