LostAngeles
4th July 2006, 11:56 PM
(Also posted to Bad Astronomy)
Tonight (July 4th), while viewing the local fireworks, I took a look up at the moon and noticed something odd. It was about a quarter moon (waxing, I think. Right hand side), but it looked as though a, "bite," had been taken out of the lower corner, like someone had taken a curved slice out of the bottom corner. I don't think it was clouds, since there were a few stars around the moon and it. My first thought that something was casting a shadow on it or it was some kind of an optical illusion. My boyfriend also saw what this and wasn't sure what it was either. This was about 9:30PM or so, Pacific time. We were facing towards downtown Los Angeles and there was a good amount of light pollution that extended about two or more "inches" into the sky. (If you held up a ruler in front of your face to measure it.)
I made a note to ask Fidelio over in the Paltalk "Room for Skeptics" about this oddity. As I related it, another regular mentioned that he had seen something similar a few days ago. Hopefully, he'll post his account here also. At Fid's request, I went and peeked out the window to see if the, "bite," was still there and apparently it was.
I have no idea about the azimuth or my altitude, but I can say that it was about a half mile south of the Silver Lake Resevoir.
Any ideas on what this was and has anyone else seen it?
Tonight (July 4th), while viewing the local fireworks, I took a look up at the moon and noticed something odd. It was about a quarter moon (waxing, I think. Right hand side), but it looked as though a, "bite," had been taken out of the lower corner, like someone had taken a curved slice out of the bottom corner. I don't think it was clouds, since there were a few stars around the moon and it. My first thought that something was casting a shadow on it or it was some kind of an optical illusion. My boyfriend also saw what this and wasn't sure what it was either. This was about 9:30PM or so, Pacific time. We were facing towards downtown Los Angeles and there was a good amount of light pollution that extended about two or more "inches" into the sky. (If you held up a ruler in front of your face to measure it.)
I made a note to ask Fidelio over in the Paltalk "Room for Skeptics" about this oddity. As I related it, another regular mentioned that he had seen something similar a few days ago. Hopefully, he'll post his account here also. At Fid's request, I went and peeked out the window to see if the, "bite," was still there and apparently it was.
I have no idea about the azimuth or my altitude, but I can say that it was about a half mile south of the Silver Lake Resevoir.
Any ideas on what this was and has anyone else seen it?