Sighting the last Ox moon

The thin crescent waning moon on 31 January 2022

Over the past four days, we've been waking up at around six o'clock on account of the approaching Chinese New Year. Main reason is because of the need to do the marketing early. There are so many things to buy from the wet market in Kampong Baru: fruits and fresh foodstuff. All the preparations required for the reunion dinner as well as the preparations for the midnight worship to welcome in the New Year! 

Moreover, another reason why we spaced out our purchases at the market this year was to try and avoid the traditional large crowds on the last two days before the festival. But we know that it would be largely impossible because there are some stuff which needs to be bought on the last day itself. Like, for example, the huat koay which, if left overnight, would turn harder and chewier. Not something to my liking.

Although we are in the Tropics, just a few degrees north of the equator, the sun rises pretty later at about 7.35am at this time of the year. Thus, it was still dark when we left the house for our pre-Chinese New Year marketing. 

The same moon higher up in the sky on 30 January 2022

If there's ever a good time to watch the waning moon, it would be now. In fact, the last four days have been a joy for me. As the waning moon rises in the eastern sky each morning, it grows thinner and rises lower as the days progress. Yesterday morning, I could still see a bright, 7.5 percent illuminated moon low in the sky at about 6.30am. The day before, a 14.9 percent illuminated moon higher up in the sky at much the same time too.

Today, however, was a challenge. Because it was already the eve of Chinese New Year, I knew that the moon would rise even later and it would be very low in the sky. In order to see it, I might have to wait till a bit later but if I waited too long, the sky would have brightened and it would be next to impossible to see it. Moreover, on the eve of Chinese New Year, the moon would become a tiny sliver with its illumination only at 2.4 percent. Hard put to notice it at all!

So after hurriedly doing my marketing this morning, I settled it at a vantage point to watch the dark but brightening sky. For about five minutes I couldn't see anything at all. Then just as I was about to give up - isn't this always the case? - I noticed a slight discolour between two coconut trees in the dark but dawning sky. Could that be the moon? The more I strained to look at it, the more I was convinced that this was indeed the elusive last sight of the waning moon before Chinese New Year! After my camera caught hold of the moon, it disappeared from the now brighter sky.