From Inside, the Waxing Crescent Moon Sets

January Waxing Crescent Moon
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe

January Waxing Crescent Moon

As January comes to a close, I must say I am happy to see it going away. We have been having a cold and snowy winter so far with very few clear nights. However tonight I saw the sunset with Venus appearing about the same time and a beautiful two and one half day old crescent moon about 7% illuminated. As twilight deepened the earthshine presented itself quite well. Temperatures here near Chicago remain well below freezing so I made this observation out my kitchen bay window without the benefit of optical aid. By the time I gathered my sketching material the moon was already beginning to sink behind a few basswood trees along my line of sight. The moon was impressive and the comfort of indoor warmth made for ideal sketching climate.

Sketching:

Naked eye sketch out a large window
For this sketch I used: dark blue construction paper, 11”x 9”, white and black Conte’pastel pencils and a blending stump, for templating the moon as a circle I used a salt shaker bottom.. Brightness was slightly decreased after scanning.

Date: 1-28-2009 11:10-11:40 UT
clear skies
Lunation: 2.64 days
Illumination: 7 %

Frank McCabe