Lunar X Predictions for 2025,
Based on 358° Lunar Colongitude
Altitude and Azimuth for 40°N-75°W, Eastern Time Zone
|
Date, 2025 |
358° Colongitude |
Altitude/Azimuth |
|
January 6 |
1:22
pm |
+22°
/ 102° |
|
February 5 |
3:56 am |
–24° / 330° |
|
March 6 |
5:56
pm |
+77° /
160° |
|
April 5 |
8:03 am |
–24° / 6° |
|
May 4 |
8:15
pm |
+66° / 201° |
|
June 3 |
7:42 am |
–45° / 6° |
|
July 2 |
6:42
pm |
+42° / 174° |
|
August 1 |
5:39 am |
–65° / 327° |
|
August 30 |
4:59 pm |
+20° / 159° |
|
September 29 |
5:02 am |
–70° / 298° |
|
October 28 |
6:02 pm |
+24° / 173° |
|
November 27 |
6:56 am |
–58° / 43° |
|
December 26 |
9:27 pm |
+21° / 250° |
The Lunar X is not an instantaneous phenomenon; rather, it appears
and evolves over several hours, so the times above are fundamentally approximate
and serve only as a guide. The ardent observer should look a little early to
catch the initial visible illumination. A less-dramatic Lunar X against a fully
illuminated background can still be seen at least several days later. Because of
the Moon’s nominal 29.5 day synodic period (phase-to-phase), favorable dates for
a given location tend to occur on alternate months. Unfavorable dates for
40°N-75°W are shaded gray in this table.
The 358°
colongitude value for
predicting the terminator reaching the Lunar X and making it prominent is based
on this RASC paper,
and the usefulness of times based on 358° colongitude was
substantiated by sightings in 2024.
These times, and the corresponding lunar altitude/azimuth for 40°N-75°W were
generated with WinJUPOS, which is freeware linked from the
WinJUPOS download page.
Daylight Saving Time for 2025 begins on March 9 and ends on November 2. The listed times are EST/EDT as appropriate for the date.
Here's NASA's Lunar
Phase & Libration Simulator for 2025. Note: It's somewhat
non-standard in that it presents UTC as 12 hr am & pm rather than 24 hr time.
West Jersey Astronomical
Society