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Look up tonight! Spooky ‘Da Vinci glow’ will illuminate the crescent moon tonight – here’s how to spot the eerie phenomenon
- There will be a ghostly glow for the next few days before and after the New Moon
- The glow is named after Leonardo Da Vinci who solved the mystery centuries ago
- The phenomenon occurs when sunlight is reflected from the Earth onto the Moon
From painting the Mona Lisa to his pioneering research, it’s no secret that Leonardo Da Vinci was a world-renowned genius.
And now lucky stargazers have a chance to see “its glow,” with an Earthshine that will light up our skies for the next week.
An eerie yet subtle glow is expected to be visible for seven days from today leading up to and aftermath of the May 19 new moon.
The so-called “Da Vinci” glow is aptly named after the acclaimed Italian researcher who solved the mystery more than 500 years ago.
Its ghostly glow occurs when sunlight is reflected off the Earth onto the lunar surface and then once again into our eyes.
A ghostly ‘Da Vinci’ shimmer will be visible for the next few days before and after the New Moon
Professor Don Pollacco, University of Warwick Department of Physics, explained: ‘When the moon is a thin crescent you can often see the dark part of the moon shining faintly.
‘At first glance this seems rather mysterious, since the crescent is the part of the moon that is illuminated by the sun – so where does the light from the unlit part of the moon come from?
‘What we actually see is light from the Earth being reflected by the moon! Hence the name Earthshine.’
Although Earthshine usually appears a few days before and after each new moon, it is most visible during spring in northern latitudes.
At this time, the moon is directly above the sun when it sets each evening.
Professor Pollacco continued: ‘As the moon becomes more fully illuminated, the brightness increases enormously and the faint earthshine becomes difficult to see.’
NASA claims Da Vinci mastered the basics of Earthshine over 500 years ago, with his notebooks brimming with sketches ahead of his time.
It read: ‘When you think of Leonardo Da Vinci, you probably think of the Mona Lisa or 16th century submarines or maybe a certain suspenseful novel. That’s old-fashioned. From now on, think of the moon.
The eerie glow is named after Leonardo Da Vinci who solved the mystery centuries ago
“Little known to most, one of Leonardo’s best works is not a painting or an invention, but rather something of astronomy: he solved the ancient riddle of earthshine.”
While Da Vinci was on the right track, it’s clear that he got some things wrong.
For example, he reportedly believed that Earth’s oceans were the main source of earthshine when clouds and sea ice reflect the most light.
Still, NASA suggestsThese are just “nagments,” the main premise of which the 15th-century researcher has grasped.
If the weather is clear, viewers will be able to see Earthshine in the eastern sky from May 15 to May 17.
According to Live Science this will happen before sunrise, with the moon experiencing its lowest seven percent illumination on Wednesday.
Earthshine may then be visible in the western sky from May 21 to May 23, with a 5 percent illuminated moon on Sunday.