月相矩阵

2022年10月1日

Lunation Matrix
Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel (TWAN)

Explanation: Observe the Moon every night and you’ll see its visible sunlit portion gradually change. In phases progressing from New Moon to Full Moon to New Moon again, a lunar cycle or lunation is completed in about 29.5 days. Top left to bottom right, this 7×4 matrix of telescopic images captures the range of lunar phases for 28 consecutive nights, from the evening of July 29 to the morning of August 26, following an almost complete lunation. No image was taken 24 hours or so just after and just before New Moon, when the lunar phase is at best a narrow crescent, close to the Sun and really hard to see. Finding mostly clear Mediterranean skies required an occasional road trip to complete this lunar cycle project, imaging in early evening for the first half and late evening and early morning for the second half of the lunation. Since all the images are registered at the same scale you can use this matrix to track the change in the Moon’s apparent size during the single lunation. For extra credit, find the lunar phase that occurred closest to perigee.

Tonight: International Observe the Moon Night

Tomorrow’s picture: cosmic cannon

月相矩阵
影像提供与版权: Tunc Tezel (TWAN)

说明: 如果每晚观看月亮，你会见到它的日曜区每天都有变化。月相从新月到满月、然后再回到新月，一个完整的月相历时约29.5天。上面这张从左到右下依序排列的7×4望远镜照片矩阵，呈现连续28晚（从7月29日晚到8月26日晨）的月相变化，并且几乎记录了一个完整的月相周期。因为在新月前与后的24小时期间，并未拍下任何照片，由于当时可见的月亮至多是一个极窄的蛾眉，而且很靠近太阳，所以极难看到。为了要完成这项月相周期的记录工作，上半周期的取像时间点在初晚时分，下半周期则在深夜或清晨，而且摄影者偶而得进行公路旅行，以找到大致清朗适合拍照的地中海天空。由于上图的所有照片都用相同的比例尺拍摄，因此你可以使用此照片矩阵，来追踪这个月相周期里的月亮视大小之变化。想得到额外的荣耀吗？请找出最靠近地点的月相。

今晚: 国际观月夜

明日的图片: cosmic cannon