Is this the Moon?

[Sneaky23]

Friend took this photo and was wondering if it is the Moon. Taken on the new Moon today I believe. Possibly earthshine with clouds dampening sunlight to make visible? Was not visible to the eye and only noticed it while reviewing photos.

[Sneaky23]

Should probably add that the photo was taken in Richmond Virginia

[Lady Fraktor]

Welcome to the forums, an interesting image either way

[OzEclipse]

Friend took this photo and was wondering if it is the Moon. Taken on the new Moon today I believe. Possibly earthshine with clouds dampening sunlight to make visible? Was not visible to the eye and only noticed it while reviewing photos.

Welcome to TSS.


It looks like a gibbous (nearly full) moon not a new moon.

If it was taken today then it definitely isn't the Moon for at least three reasons -
- Earthshine requires roughly 1s-8s exposure at f5.6-f8 and ISO 100-400.
- At daylight exposure values, earthshine/new moon would not be visible in the photo.
- At new moon, the Moon is very close to the Sun in the sky.

Joe

[Sneaky23]

Friend took this photo and was wondering if it is the Moon. Taken on the new Moon today I believe. Possibly earthshine with clouds dampening sunlight to make visible? Was not visible to the eye and only noticed it while reviewing photos.

Welcome to TSS.


It looks like a gibbous (nearly full) moon not a new moon.

If it was taken today then it definitely isn't the Moon for at least three reasons -
- Earthshine requires roughly 1s-8s exposure at f5.6-f8 and ISO 100-400.
- At daylight exposure values, earthshine/new moon would not be visible in the photo.
- At new moon, the Moon is very close to the Sun in the sky.

Joe

Thanks for the reply. The sun is right behind the clouds to lower left of the spherical object so it seems to be roughly where the moon should be. Couldn't be nearly full since it would be on the other side of the planet. Will try to get some more details.
Any idea what else it could be?

[MrShorty]

I agree with OzEclipse, it would very unlikely to just happen to accidentally capture the new moon.

Which isn't to say that it is impossible. I have heard of people who go to some lengths to try to capture the very thin crescents that can sometimes be captured (very carefully) at or near new moon. You might find this interesting: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentia ... visibility

[Sneaky23]

Understand that the only way it could be the Moon is if it was a silhouette of the dark side with some sort of moonshine phenomena. With the sun behind the clouds to the lower left it seems to be about where the Moon should be. Also seems to be some sort of aura around it. Seems too coincidental that something that looks like the moon is right about where the Moon should be.
Any ideas on what else it could be?

[JayTee]

It is most likely a lens "flare" given how close the sun is to that phenomenon and the fact that the sun is obscured by clouds (showing a moon-like image) further verifies this to me. This is a pretty typical occurrence that causes confusion.

Cheers,
JT

[Sneaky23]

It is most likely a lens "flare" given how close the sun is to that phenomenon and the fact that the sun is obscured by clouds (showing a moon-like image) further verifies this to me. This is a pretty typical occurrence that causes confusion.

Cheers,
JT

Thank you! That explains it. Why im on the beginners page...

[Graeme1858]

Hello Sneeky23

If the photo was taken today from Virginia and the Sun is bottom left of the image, then it's not an Earth shine illuminated image of the new Moon because the Moon is east of the Sun today.

Regards

Graeme

[Pikaia]

It certainly isn't the moon. The new moon is not visible as it is too close to the sun and the visible face of the moon is unilluminated. It only becomes visible a few days later as a slender crescent, and then only after sunset.
It seems to be caused by internal reflection of sunlight within the camera.

[yobbo89]

my opinion is that typically reflections in lenses/telescopes come out as green. you have very big structure and a solid circular object there, so maybe a very off angle image of the sun , the exposures seems to be too short for any type of daylight image of the moon in reference for a internal reflection.

i would say where that very bright illuminated cloud is,is where the sun is at and the corresponding equal distance is where the reflection is.

[PalomarJack]

I would have included a high altitude balloon, they are nearly spherical at height, but the clue is it was not seen, strangely the sun is behind the clouds. So it could not be a lens flare or ghost image, at least not the kind you would expect. There is one more, and is most likely. CCDs are sensitive to infrared. It seems to be a ghost infrared image of the sun. Or, you just missed seeing a high altitude balloon directly.

[Shorty Barlow]

I'm pretty sure it's a lens flare, I can reproduce something similar with a special effect filter in GIMP or Photoshop. The idea in mimicking a natural lens flare is to give a photograph a sense of dynamism. Failing that it could possibly be a Zeta Reticulan scout ship.