November Stargazing: Crescent Moon Moves East, Will Pass 3 Planets This Week

Sunday's crescent moon is not the end for stargazing enthusiasts. After the new moon on Sunday, it will be heading east and will pass by three planets -- Saturn, Venus and Mars -- this week.

Mapping its Way to 3 Planets and the Zodiac

According to the Post-Gazette, on Wednesday evening, the crescent moon will be 12 degrees above the southwestern horizon at quarter past sunset. The thin, bright crescent moon will further welcome the November sky as it sits above Saturn and six degrees on the right of Venus.

As the waxing crescent moon moves eastward, it will works its way through Venus and then finally pass by March on Sunday night.

At the same time that the crescent moon passes the three planets, it will also work its way through the zodiac. On Thursday evening, 45 minutes after sunset, the crescent moon will be 20 degrees above the southwestern horizon and 10 degrees above Venus. It will then reach Sagittarius by Saturday evening and, on Sunday, will be perched in Capricorn.

A Symbol of Power

The crescent moon, as California Psychics notes, has been considered as a symbol of power for thousands of years. For psychics, the young moon represents a cradle for newly born dreams.
Various cultures have celebrated and is still celebrating the appearance of a crescent moon. These include the old Mesopotamia and ancient Persia. In ancient Egypt, the crescent moon was used as the symbol for great goddesses Isis and her daughter-in-law and cow goddess Hathor.

Today, Tibetan monks is still celebrating the rise of the crescent moon every month and, unlike the Chinese, have based their new year on this moon.