h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday evening, the moon looked strange.
About 17:25 GMT when I looked you could see the illuminated silvery 'new moon', but you could also see the dark part of the moon very clearly, looking dark grey against the darkening sky. Later, as it was setting over Durham Cathedral it almost looked yellowish.
I've never seen the moon look like this, do you have any idea what could have caused it?
Joanna

Sorry about not seeing this posting for a month! What you saw was probably 'earth light' reflected off the moon. When the moon is in its New Phase, it lies directly between the earth and the sun (which causes solar eclipses when conditions are right). Reflected sunlight off the earth might be illuminating the 'dark' bits of the moon if conditions were right for thatt to happen!

Hope this helps and I'm sorry for the delay in posting!

- X

Thankyou, thats a very plausible explanation...
As for the delay in posting... I knew you'd notice at some point.
Joanna
PS since I'm about to change my degree to physics with astrophysics, I suppose I should learn to answer these questions myself?

Eww, you must really like math....

I was an astrophysics major in college, (well actually in high school). But after a year of calculus in high school, I decided to throw in the towel and major in journalism. I love to write as much as I love looking at the stars!

And I finally updated the page for February and added a new link at the bottom!

Good luck with the soon-to-be new major! I sometimes regret not following my first instinct, but if I had, I'd still be in college, running up more bills....

- X

I'm not overfond of maths... its a means to an end. I'm just fascinated by the stars and how they work... seems silly really, but I'm always looking upwards.... its nice in Durham 'cause one can actually *see* them, Manchester suffers from an excess of light polution. And then I got to see Jupiter in the telescope at the physics department.... that swayed me

I like the new link.... I've bookmarked it, it seems a great idea.

I wish I'd studied more English sometimes, but I really can't be bothered to write if I'm supposed to for any reason... such is life...

Joanna

A buddy of mine in college was studying for his masters in physics and needed help writing his disertation. He did the research and I did the writing, with him supplying beer throughout the process...

So when you're in grad school, make sure you find some writing-type person who can be bought cheap with liquor to help you with the writing bits!

You'll have to explain to me about college and grad school... I just have university and thats it... Also it seems strange the idea of being an astrophysics "major"... To me its the subject that I'm reading but it doesn't have a special title like that...

I'll start making friends with English students in preparation

Err, in America you go to university after high school to complete a four-year bachelors degree program in your chosen field. Many colleges don't offer all the choices so you've got to poke around a bit to find one that will do the job for you. For example I majored in journalism, which at many schools is under the English department or Communications department. At my school, it was it's own program. The same goes for astrophysics. While many schools have it as a part of their physics department, others have a distinct Astrophysics department.

Anyway, after completing the bachelor's degree in four years. There's the master's degree, which can usually be earned in two or three years. Then comes the doctorate, which I believe takes another four years (a doctorate is really needed in the astrophysics to teach and do high-powered research as access to equipment is limited to the big shots).

Of course in journalism, you can often get a job teaching undergraduates (seeking bachelor's degrees) as long as you have work experience and a master's degree.

Hope that clears up any confusion about the American higher education system.

- X

Thanks... here degree courses tend to be for 3 years, for a batchelors degree, and you can stay for an extra year (sometimes 2) for your masters. In physics, though, they have the relatively recent introduction of a 4-year course leading to a masters degree, which I'm on... (assumming I do well enough at the end of next year).

Hey Joanna! Check out the update in the Observatory. Or better yet, go to http://www.h2g2.com/A338816



Looking forward to working with you!!

- X

Ooooohhh!

After seeing that the friend of mine on the computer next to me announced that I was "very odd". hmm.

Joanna, who would add the observatory to her list of links if netscape hadn't decided that her page was long enough already and it wasn't going to let her add any more...

LOL!
Just another case of the man keeping us down!

Sorry for this late, late posting, but I've just found 'The Observatory'.
I believe there is a term/saying for the that phenomenum which I always thought was a rather pretty phrase, It's:
'The old moon in the arms of the new'.
All the best A.M.
Liked the articles by the way.

My old observatory is closed!

Peta asked me to take over the h2g2 University Observatory at http://www.h2g2.com/A338951

So, that's where you can now go for a sky update!