A rainy day

This week we've had weather in the Twin Cities that isn't particularly conducive to anything other than staying inside and hiding out.  

This is particularly frustrating as this week is the week of the new moon.  For the backyard astronomy hobby, this is important as it easier to view deep sky object such as star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies without the glare of the full moon.   


With the moon about to go on the rebound, the old adage holds true.  If everything else is washed out by the moon, view the moon.  In a couple of days, you will be able to view the young crescent moon in the western sky roughly 45 minutes after sunset.   Take note of the fact that even though the moon is just entering the waxing crescent phase, you can still make out the entire 'disk' of the moon.  More on this later.