Nearly full moon caps cold Friday in the Midcoast
ROCKPORT — Friday night’s moonrise over Penobscot Bay was a waxing gibbous moon, which is the final phase before a full moon, and comes about two weeks after a new moon.
Any moon that appears more than half lighted, but less than full, is called a gibbous moon.
The moon Dec. 5 was the very final phase of the waxing gibbous moon, at 99 percent. Tonight’s moon, Saturday, Dec. 6 will be a full moon, though the evening’s weather forecast will prevent Mainers from being able to see it.
“People sometimes see a waxing gibbous moon in the afternoon, shortly after moonrise, while it's ascending in the east as the sun is descending in the west,” according to EarthSky.org. “It's easy to see a waxing gibbous moon in the daytime because, at this phase of the moon, a large fraction of the moon's day side is facing our way. Thus a waxing gibbous moon is more noticeable in the sky than a crescent moon, with only a slim fraction of the lunar day side visible. Also, a waxing gibbous moon is far from the sun on the sky's dome, so the sun's glare isn't hiding it from view.”
PenBayPilot reader K.D. Greenside of Rockport, near the Samoset Resort, furnished a series of photographs of last night’s moon. Enjoy them, on this rainy Christmas by the Sea Saturday, which has many events happening indoors. Sunday’s weather will be clear, but cloudy, as the holiday kickoff event for Camden, Lincolnville and Rockport continues.
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