The Moon was just 22 hours 20 minutes past new when this picture was taken. For Laurie and me, this was a personal record for the youngest Moon we have ever seen. Any Moon less than 24 hours old can be a challenge to see, but we had no difficulty spotting this one with the naked eye. It was also a beautiful view through binoculars.

Several things have to go right to see a very young Moon. First, the timing has to favor your location, so that the Moon is indeed the right number of hours past new just after sunset. Second, you need to have a good view to the west. We went to the shoreline in Madison CT for this. Third, you need clear skies. There were clouds in the vicinity but we were able to wait until the Moon sank beneath them into a patch of clear sky.

Image details: Four exposures of 1/25 seconds each with a Canon T6i camera, f/5.6, 55 mm, ISO 3200.

June 15, 2026