The Moon on this date
Moon on Wednesday, December 4, 2002
New Moon
0.2% illuminated · waxing
Shown at midday from Columbus, US.
Rise, set and path
Times for Columbus, US
- Moonrise
- SE
- Highest
- 25°
- Moonset
- SW
60°30°
Horizon
8:00 AM
5:28 PM
25°
Key figures
- Illuminated
- 0.2%
- Age
- 0.4 days
- Distance
- 366,500 km
- Apparent size
- 32.6′
- Constellation
- Ophiuchus
- Lunation number
- 989
Events on this date
-
Venus at its brightest
Shines at magnitude -4.9, as bright as it gets this time around.
-
Total solar eclipse
The Moon covers the Sun completely along a narrow track across Earth. Not visible from Columbus.
-
New Moon
The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and cannot be seen. These are the darkest nights of the month.
-
Moon and Mercury close together
They pass 0.6° apart in the sky.
Exact values
For Dec 4, 12:00 PM, midday on this date.
| Elongation from the Sun | 5.30° |
|---|---|
| Phase angle | 174.62° |
| Illuminated fraction | 0.22% |
| Altitude / azimuth | 24.6° / 168.6° |
| Right ascension / declination | 17h 06m / -23.69° |
| Ecliptic longitude / latitude | 257.67° / -0.83° |
| Libration in longitude / latitude | 4.40° / 1.98° |
| Sub-solar longitude / latitude | 178.90° / -0.13° |
| Position angle of the axis | 3.8° |
| Position angle of the bright limb | 292.3° |
| Apparent magnitude | -4.6 |
Directions are good to about a hundredth of a degree and the distance to about 50 km; more digits would not mean anything.