Re: [APML] Texas Star Party-Bad Moon Week??

["Alson Wong" <alsonwong@earthlink.net>]

There are some that factors that you've overlooked that favor the week
between last quarter and new Moon for the TSP.  First, during Daylight
Saving Time, moonrise and set times are one hour later than during Standard
Time.  Second, Fort Davis is located at 104 degrees west longitude, 14
degrees west of the 90-degree central meridian for the Central Time zone.
This delays moonrise and set by almost another hour compared to a location
at 90 degrees west, e.g., New Orleans.

Using the coordinates of McDonald Observatory (104.02 degrees W, 30.67
degrees N, elevation of 2075 m), we get the following times for moonrise and
set (CDT):

5/5-6:  moonset 14:47, moonrise 4:21
5/6-7:  moonset 15:42, moonrise 4:51
5/7-8:  moonset 16:35, moonrise 5:19
5/8-9:  moonset 17:28, moonrise 5:47
5/9-10:  moonset 18:21, moonrise 6:15
5/10-11:  moonset 19:15, moonrise 6:46
5/11-12:  moonset 20:11, moonrise 7:19

For the week of 5/5-12, the earliest moonrise is at 4:21 AM on the morning
of 5/6.  Astronomical twilight ends at 5:39 AM, so little more than an hour
is lost to moonlight.  From the night of 5/8 onward, moonrise occurs after
the start of morning twilight, so no darkness is lost to moonlight.

5/12-13:  moonset 21:09, moonrise 7:56
5/13-14:  moonset 22:09, moonrise 8:39
5/14-15:  moonset 23:09, moonrise 9:28
5/15-16:  moonset 0:07 (5/16)
5/16-17:  moonset 1:02 (5/17)
5/17-18:  moonset 1:52 (5/18)
5/18-19:  moonset 2:37 (5/19)

For the week of 5/12-19, from the night of 5/15 onward, moonset occurs after
the end of astronomical twilight, and by the weekend moonset occurs well
after midnight, leaving no hours of darkness in the evening and less than
four hours of darkness in the morning hours.

It's been several years since I attended the TSP, but my earlier experience
indicates that attendance during the first part of the week is light, with
most people arriving during the latter part of the week.  This also favors
the week between last quarter and new Moon.

----- Original Message -----
From: <KGKIRKLEY@aol.com>
To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 1:24 PM
Subject: [APML] Texas Star Party-Bad Moon Week??


> To APMLer's:
>
> To those interested in attending the Texas Star Party, May 5-12, 2002, in
the
> Davis Mountains of West Texas to do astrophotography or imaging:
>
> The organizers have once again (last year too) picked the wrong week.
> Last Quarter is May 4 and New Moon is May 12, meaning there will be a moon
in
> the morning sky all week.
>
> At the TSP, from sunset until about 1 am, the Spring Sky and Galaxies
> prevail, but after midnight, the Summer Sky rises in the East. For
> photography purposes, this morning sky is the main reason to attend TSP,
but
> this year, as last, the moon will be in attendance too.
>
> I think the organizers think everyone will go to the lectures and out to
> observe until midnight, then go to bed. Why would anyone go to a distant
star
> party with incredible skies and go to be at midnight???????? Go figure.
>
> Kent Kirkley
>
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