Crescent Visibility 2009

Please note: All visibility estimates assume that viewing conditions are ideal, with clear skies and minimal dust and other sources of scattered light, and with a clear western horizon. [download pdf file]

New moon of January 26, 09:55 SAST
Visibility 26 Jan: only in parts of the Pacific Ocean
Visibility 27 Jan: worldwide except in parts of northern Scandinavia and Russia, the southern tip of South America, and in New Zealand and southern Australia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: January 27

New moon of February 25, 03:35 SAST
Visibility 25 Feb: North America, Central America, and the northernmost parts of South America. May be visible with optical aid from parts of western Spain and western North Africa.
Visibility 26 Feb: worldwide except the extreme southern tip of South America, New Zealand and southern Australia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: February 26

New moon of March 26, 18:06 SAST
Visibility 26 Mar: possibly visible with optical aid from the extreme eastern tip of Siberia.
Visibility 27 Mar: worldwide except in southern South America, southern Africa, Australasia and most of Indonesia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: March 28

New moon of April 25, 05:23 SAST
Visibility 25 Apr: North America, Central America, and the northernmost parts of South America, Spain, Britain, Denmark, southern Norway, western and northern France. Possibly visible with optical aid from most of the rest of Europe, and from parts of northwestern Africa.
Visibility 26 Apr: worldwide except the southern tip of South America, southern Australia, and New Zealand.
First possible sighting in South Africa: April 26

New moon of May 24, 14:11 SAST
Visibility 24 May: southern Alaska and much of the North Pacific Ocean. May be visible with optical aid through much of western North America.
Visibility 25 May: worldwide except for the southern tip of South America, most of Australia (visibility likely only in the northern coastal regions), and New Zealand.
First possible sighting in South Africa: May 25

New moon of June 22, 2009, 21:35 SAST
Visibility 22 Jun: Not visible anywhere.
Visibility 23 Jun: North America, South America except the southern tip, Spain, France, the south coast of Britain, Africa except possibly the south coast of South Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Possibly visible with optical aid from most of China and southeast Asia, including western Indonesia. The situation in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban will be unusually interesting, as conditions for sighting the young crescent on June 23 are expected to be marginal.
First possible sighting in South Africa: June 23

New moon of July 22, 04:35 SAST
Visibility 22 Jul: southern North America, all of South America except the southern tip (where optical aid would be required). May be visible with optical aid from parts of West Africa and (very marginally possible) from parts of the Central African coast.
Visibility 23 Jul: worldwide except northern North America and Eurasia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: July 23

New moon of August 20, 12:02 SAST
Visibility 20 Aug: parts of the South Pacific Ocean.
Visibility 21 Aug: central and southern North America, Africa except the Algerian coast and Tunisia (optical aid probably required there), Saudi Arabia, southern and southeast Asia, and Australasia. May be visible with optical aid from southern Spain, Syria and the Levant, but not Turkey.
First possible sighting in South Africa: August 21

New moon of September 18, 20:44 SAST
Visibility 18 Sep: not visible
Visibility 19 Sep: central and southern Mexico, central America, most of the Caribbean, South America, parts of western and central Africa, all of southern Africa and Madagascar. May be visible with optical aid from parts of northern Mexico, southern Florida, most of the rest of Africa south of the Sahara, and western and southern Australia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: September 19

New moon of October 18, 07:33 SAST
Visibility 18 Oct: southern South America
Visibility 19 Oct: South America, central and southern North America, Africa except the north coast, Saudi Arabia, India, southeast Asia and Australasia. May be visible with optical aid from the north coast of Africa, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, southern Pakistan and southern China.
First possible sighting in South Africa: October 19

New moon of November 16, 21:14 SAST
Visibility 16 Nov: not visible
Visibility 17 Nov: South America, Central America, central and southern Mexico, coastal West Africa, southern Africa and Madagascar, most of central Africa. May be visible with optical aid from northern Mexico, most of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, and (just possibly) the SW tip of Australia.
First possible sighting in South Africa: November 17

New moon of December 16, 14:02 SAST
Visibility 16 Dec: May be visible with optical aid from a small part of the South Pacific just east of the date line.
Visibility 17 Dec: South America, most of North America except Alaska and northern Canada, southern Spain, Sicily, the SW corner of Turkey, all of Africa, Syria and the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, southern Iran and Pakistan, India except the northernmost parts, Southeast Asia and the western 2/3 of Australia. May be visible with optical aid from northern Spain, southern France, Italy, Greece and the Balkans, Turkey, most of the rest of Iran, Pakistan and India, the rest of Australia and New Guinea, the Philippines and South China.
First possible sighting in South Africa: December 17