Hadhramout Lunar Phase - the Waning Moon

Lunar Phase - Last Quarter
The Moon is now waning. Last night, it could only be seen hours past midnight as a Waning Crescent. The Moon has now moved almost entirely on its orbit of the Earth. It is now rising in the East. Each morning before dawn, because the Moon is moving eastward in orbit around Earth, the moon appears closer to the sunrise glare. We see less and less of the Moon’s day side, and thus the crescent in the east before dawn appears thinner each day. The Moon, as always, is rising in the east day after day. But most people won’t see this moon phase unless they get up early. When the sun comes up, and the sky grows brighter, the waning Crescent Moon fades; because the Moon is so near the Earth/sun line that the sun’s glare is drowning this slim Moon from view. Still, the waning crescent is up there, nearly all day long, moving ahead of the sun across the sky’s dome. It sets in the west several hours or less before sunset.

Hadhramaut Lunar Phase - Last Quarter
A few days ago, the Moon was it its Last Quarter phase. I took the above photograph at around midnight.
Hadhramout Lunar Phase - Waning
The next, day, the Moon had waned further; the above and below photos, I took at about 1.00 PM.
Hadhramout Lunar Phase - Waning
As the Moon wanes, Muslims around the world are now looking forward to Eid and hoping that their fasting and Ramadan has been worthwhile. Around Hadharamout, there is a high sense of festivity and the streets and the shops are now much more packed and full, than they have ever been before - since the beginning of Ramadhan; in fact - every year, the shops never get as full as they are now, for whole year until during the last days of Ramadan. It is during the last days of Ramadan that Muslims - in Hadhramaut or wherever they maybe around the world - spend most, and shopkeepers and traders make the most money.

+ Understanding Waning Crescent Moon

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