This is a photo taken in Kansas of a "old" crescent moon, which refers to the length that the Moon has gone through a cycle of lunar phases starting from new. Having just heard a presentation on lunar eclipses as a apart of the Solar System projects, I was interested in this image of the lunar occultation, a topic related yet separate from eclipses. It is shown here occulting or passing in front of Mars , which is seen as a bright and tiny dot of light in the sky making it visible to the naked eye, which is rare. At this point that the photo was taken the Moon is just about to set and appears very large due to its proximity to the horizon. This picture is an exciting precursor to the total lunar eclipse that will be visible December 20th and 21st in North America, which occurs at the Moon's descending node in eastern Taurus, just four days before perigee, at 5:29 UT and ends at 11:04 UT.
