To Dr. Foster,

Who reminds me to keep on being curious.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ah4esgw7s42s

In this moon journal, I am going to be going outside and observing the moon for most of the month of October. I will be looking for the phase of the moon and looking up what the illumination is for that day. I will also be adding observations and questions that I have. I will not be doing any research in the beginning so I can what I can learn from just observations.

October 1

Waning Gibbous

Illumination: 60%

Huntsville Texas 8:20 PM

First day in and I am disappointed to not find the moon at all while I was outside taking my dog out.

Question of the day: Where is the moon right now?

October 2

Last Quarter

Illumination: 49%

Huntsville Texas 8:40 PM

Second day in and still no sight of the moon. This is not too great of a start.

Question of the day: Is it possible that I am not seeing the moon because it is on the other side of my apartment building?

October 3

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 38%

Huntsville Texas 8ish

This is a poor start to a month long project. I not seeing the moon at all, I looked on the other side of the building and still no sightings.

Question of the day: Should I be looking for the moon at a different time?

October 4

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 27%

Huntsville Texas Multiple times in the day.

So it turns out my idea of checking the night sky around the same time each night is not going to work. As I was going to and from classes I looked outside. I paused for a good while going to and coming home from classes. I finally saw the moon! It was a small sliver and almost missed it.

Question of the day: does the illumination mean what percentage of the moon is visible??

October 5

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 17

Huntsville Texas Noonish %

After looking at the past few days and I do believe that the illumination is the percentage of the moon visible.

QotD: If you are standing on the moon, can you always see the earth?

October 6

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 9%

Could not find the moon today, probably because it is a tiny sliver.

QofD: Does other planet's moons have phases like the our moon does?

October 7

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 4%

Hunsville Texas, multiple times.

Could not find the moon today, probably because it is a tiny sliver.

Will I be able to see the moon tomorrow?

October 8

Waning Crescent

Illumination: 1%

Hunsville Texas, None

I forgot to look for the moon so I am unable to answer my own question...

Q: Because it the moon is at 1% is it going to be 0% or higher then that?

October 9

New Moon

Illumination: 0%

Hunsville Texas 4pm

I could not find the moon, judging by the illumination percentage I probably would not be able to see it at all.

Q: Would be able to see a new moon at all?

October 10

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 2%

Huntsville Texas, Noonish.

Moon not sighted, I have a feeling it will be hard to spot, not only during the day but because the illumination is so low.

Q: Will I be able to see the moon?

October 11

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 7%

Moon not sighted.

I am probably not going to be able to see it the next couple days.

Q: Will I be able to see the moon?

October 12

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 13%

Huntsville Texas 3pm

Q: How far away is the moon?

October 13

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 20

Huntsville Texas, way early in the morning.

I could not stay asleep this morning and went outside earlier then usual, and saw the moon in all it's glory. I'm not sure what time it was but the moon is easier to spot in the dark.

Are the markings on the moon at craters?

October 14

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 29%

Day missed

I forgot to look for the moon this day.

October 15

Waxing Crescent

Illumination: 38%

Day missed

I forgot to look for the moon this day.

October 16