New Children's Book on Rosh Chodesh Featuring The Starman of Mitzpe Ramon

Somehow I let it slip by that there is a new book just out written by well known Israeli children's author Allison Ofananasky about the new moon and Rosh Chodesh. The story is set in the desert around Mitzpe Ramon and features The Starman of Mitzpe Ramon as the childrens' guide to the New Moon and the new month. Teach your children why the moon has phases and how they determine when Rosh Chodesh occurs. Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern.

"New Month, New Moon" - A new book by Allison Ofananasky explaining the moon's phases and their connection to Rosh Chodesh. Featuring The Starman of Mitzpe Ramon, Ira Machefsky.

You can buy it here from Amazon.com.

The New Moon with Venus, Spica and Saturn

I captured the close conjunction of the new moon of Tishrei with Venus last night, adding as a bonus the bright star Spica with Saturn entering the picture at the upper left towards the end.

Spica, the brightest star in Virgo appears just to the lower right of the moon with Venus above left. Towards the end of the animation Saturn enters the field at the top left.

New moon of September 8, 2013 with Venus to the upper left and Saturn to the far upper left. Around 8:00 PM above the hills of Mitzpe Ramon, Israel.

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Don't Miss Venus and the New Moon in the Evening Sky Tonight

Tonight, Sunday September 8, the new moon of Tishrei, just 3 days old, will make a beautiful pairing with Venus in the evening sky at sunset. Venus and the moon will be the two brightest objects in the sky, with Saturn visible above and to the left of Venus. If you have a completely clear western horizon and a pair of binoculars you should also be able to glimpse the elusive planet Mercury due west, above and to the left of the setting sun. But it will be very low in the sky and will set shortly after the sun. The other two planets and the moon will be visible well into darkness. On Monday night the moon will be above and left of Venus, not nearly as close, but still a pretty sight.

Give it a try and let us know what you see. Venus, Saturn and the moon are bright enough to be visible from even light polluted skies in Israel.

Venus will be visible just above and left of the moon, impossible to miss in the darkening sunset sky. Saturn should also be easy to see above and left of Venus, with Mercury a difficult binocular object above and just left of the setting sun. This view of the sky is for 7:00PM Local Israel Time on September 8, 2013. 

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