Moon Observations Using Stellarium
Open Stellarium. Go to the “Sky and Viewing Options” window (the third icon down in the vertical row) and turn on the Ecliptic (of date) under the “Markings” tab. Find the Moon. You can look yourself or click the magnifying glass and type “moon” and Stellarium will take you to the right location in the sky. Click the triangular play button at the bottom to pause the view. You can zoom in and out with the scroll wheel on the mouse or by using the “page up” and “page down” keys.
1) What is the RA and Dec {RA/Dec (on date)} of the Moon at this time on this date and time?
2) What percentage of the face of the Moon is lit tonight?
3) What phase does this represent?
4) Is the Moon waxing or waning?
Zoom in to a field of view of about 7° for the next set of questions.
5) Sketch the moon as it appears. Label the visible maria, the terminator (the day/night line), and the closest cardinal direction (N, S, E, W).
6) Advance the clock and determine about what time (and date) the Moon sets.
7) Now set the date to October 3, 2018 at 8:30 AM (0830 hours) and sketch the Moon as it appears. Label the visible maria, the terminator (the day/night line), and the closest cardinal direction (N, S, E, W).
8) What percent of the Moon is illuminated, what is the phase, and is it waxing or waning?