I created a moon phase chart and added MAS star party dates to help me keep track of the different MAS star parties this year (2019) and how their dates conflict with one another. Thought I would share it with you.
Dave
Moon Phase Chart for 2019
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Dave-
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- Real Name: Dave Sjogren
Moon Phase Chart for 2019
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DougSch
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- Real Name: Doug Scheurich
Re: Moon Phase Chart for 2019
Great Job.
I saved it to my desk top for fast reference.
Doug S
I saved it to my desk top for fast reference.
Doug S
Doug Scheurich
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Eagle Lake Observatory Committee Chairman.
Cherry Grove Keyholder.
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Dick Jacobson
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Re: Moon Phase Chart for 2019
Excellent! This chart vividly illustrates a formula that I've used for several years to estimate the date of New Moon.
Here's how you do it. Just add the month number and day, then subtract an adjustment factor. The result is the day of the lunar cycle (0 = New Moon, 15 = Full Moon). If the result is greater than 30, subtract 30, or add 30 if the result is negative. This gets you within a day of the correct value.
The adjustment factor is different each year. For 2019, if you want to be as accurate as possible, use 9 before July, 8 for July and August, 7 after August. Or just remember 8 for the whole year. February and July/August (two consecutive 31-day months) sort of upset the accuracy.
The reason this works is that the lunar cycle is 29.5 days (approximately), and the average length of a month is 30.5 days (approximately), so any given lunar phase comes about one day earlier each month.
No doubt there are dozens of phone apps that can give you a more accurate value. Those who are more phone savvy than me can offer suggestions, but I like to rely on my deteriorating brain for a few things.
Maybe we can petition Pope Francis to straighten out the calendar again so the formula works better. Or just adopt a lunar calendar.
Here's how you do it. Just add the month number and day, then subtract an adjustment factor. The result is the day of the lunar cycle (0 = New Moon, 15 = Full Moon). If the result is greater than 30, subtract 30, or add 30 if the result is negative. This gets you within a day of the correct value.
The adjustment factor is different each year. For 2019, if you want to be as accurate as possible, use 9 before July, 8 for July and August, 7 after August. Or just remember 8 for the whole year. February and July/August (two consecutive 31-day months) sort of upset the accuracy.
The reason this works is that the lunar cycle is 29.5 days (approximately), and the average length of a month is 30.5 days (approximately), so any given lunar phase comes about one day earlier each month.
No doubt there are dozens of phone apps that can give you a more accurate value. Those who are more phone savvy than me can offer suggestions, but I like to rely on my deteriorating brain for a few things.
Maybe we can petition Pope Francis to straighten out the calendar again so the formula works better. Or just adopt a lunar calendar.
30-inch homemade Newtonian with periscope
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention