Proceedings of The 3rd Asian Physics Symposium (APS 2009)

July 22 – 23, Bandung, Indonesia

Contrast of Lunar Crescent Visibility

Eka Puspita Arumaningtyas1, and Moedji Raharto2

1
Astronomy Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science
Bandung Institute of Technology
2
Astronomy Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science
Bandung Institute of Technology
Jl. Ganesha No. 10 Bandung, Indonesia 40132
e-mail address: puspita@students.itb.ac.id or moedji@as.itb.ac.id

Abstract
Knowledge on the first visibility of lunar crescents after conjunction is the important for determining the
first date of Hijriah calendar. There are some prediction methods on the first visibility of the lunar crescents. One of
them is calculation of minimum contrast between the brightness of the crescent and the sky required for succesfull
observing of the first visibilty lunar crescent (Hoofman: 2002). The contrast defines a ratio of two components, the
illuminance of the lunar crescent and the brightness of the sky. Using the model derived by B.E Schaefer (1993) we
calculate the value of sky brightness during the crescents visibility. We also present contrast according to
definitions of M. Ilyas (1984) and A.H. Sultan (2006).

The result of the calculation shows that the sky brightness of lunar crescent and the brightness of the sky
proportional to the elevation and the altitude of the Moon and the Sun. However the sky brightness was inversely
proportional to the relative humidity and separation between sky direction and the Moon as well as the Sun. The sky
brightness in winter solstice is higher than in summer solstice.

Keywords: Sky Brightness, contrast, lunar crescent visibility

1. Introduction
The first thin lunar crescent appear in the
sky after conjunction, which still recognized by
naked eye observation, named hilal. The hilal will
appear in the direction on the sky near to the sunset
location. The appearance of hilal if the thin crescent
is brighter enough than evening twilight during the
time of naked eye observation. The scattered light of
the sun will contribute significantly to the total
intensity of sky brightness on the evening twlight.
The intensity of the evening twilight depends on the
solar depression. The hilal visibility needs a
sufficient contrast between the brightness of lunar
crescent and the evening sky.
The precise prediction on hilal’s visibility is
important for determining the first date of Hijriah
calendar. The prediction of crescent visibility is very
difficult, for which astronomers since the Babylonian
times have invested much effort (Ilyas: 1984). One of
the approach of the prediction of hila’s visibility is
multidisciplinary involving astronomy, optics,
meteorology, and physiology. There are some others
methods for determining the visibility of the lunar
crescents, one of them is a measure of the minimum
contrast required to observe the thin lunar crescent
(Hoofman: 2002). The contrast is a ratio of two
components: the illuminance of the Moon and the
brightness of the sky. Using the model derived by
B.E Schaefer (1993), we calculated the value of sky
brightness during the appearance of lunar crescents in
the first visibility. We compare the prediction of
contrast follows definitions of M. Ilyas (1984),
Schaefer (1993), and A.H. Sultan (2006).
2. Calculation
The calculation of sky brightness at the
evening twilight using a model developed by
Schaefer (1993) [3]. The input parameters in the
calculation are; the altitude and the azimuth of the
moon and the sun, elongation of the moon, and
ascensiorecta of the sun. The elevation of the sites is
varying from 100 meters to 2900 meters, while the
relative humidity is varying from 10% to 90 %. We
calculated the value of sky brightness in two different
hemispheres, the northern and the southern
hemispheres, namely: 10 LU and 60LU for the
northern part, 10LS and 60LS for the southern part.
The value of sky brightness measured in unit
of nanoLambert. To make an easy interpretation we
transform the unit of nanoLambert to the unit of
mag/arc sec2 by using the formulas that derived by
S.Nawar (1997). The figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) show that
the sky brightness increases as elevation go higher. It
means in lower location the value of sky brightness
get lower, in contrary in the higher latitude. We also
compared the value of sky brightness of summer
solstice and winter solstice at different latitude. All
hilal belongs to member of Islamic Lunar Variant
Number (ILVn) ILVn 37, 99, and 235 are identified

221
222 Eka Puspita Arumaningtyas and Moedji Raharto

in-group of hilal wich appear when the position of the
sun in summer solstice. In the direction of each group
of hilal, the sky brightness decreasing from 10LU, -
10LS, 60LU, to -60LS respectively (figure 1a). The
group of hilal appear in winter solstice are identified
illumination of the lunar crescent and the sky
brightness. Using the definition of M.Ilyas, Schaefer,
and A.H. Sultan the calculation of contrast as
follows:
3,0E-01

by ILVn 68, 167, and 204. In the direction of each

2,5E-01
group of hilal the sky brightness decreasing from -
10LS, 10LU, -60LS, to 60LU respectively (figure 2,0E-01
10LU

Contrast
1b). During summer solstice, the sun appears in the 1,5E-01
-10LS
60LU
northern sky and during winter solstice, the sun -60LS
1,0E-01
appears in the southern sky. It gives a variation to the
distance of the earth to the sun, that imply on the 5,0E-02

variation of the intensity of sunshine. 0,0E+00

0 1 2 3 4
H (km)

25 (a)
(mag/square arc sec)

20
10LU 3
15 -10LS
B sky

60LU 2,5
10 60LS
2
10LU

Contrast
5 -10LS
1,5
60LU
0 1 -60LS

0 1 2 3 4
H (km) 0,5

(a) 0
0 1 2 3 4
H (km)

(b)
16
14
(mag/square arc sec)

12 -0,7
10LU 0 1 2 3 4
10 -10LS -0,75
B sky

8 60LU -0,8
6 -60LS 10LU
Contrast

-0,85
-10LS
4
-0,9 60LU
2 -60LS
-0,95
0
0 1 2 3 4 -1

H (km)
(b)
Figure 1. Sky brightness in the different elevations
and different latitudes in summer solstice (a), and
winter solstice (b).
As the position of the Earth close to
perihelion the intensity of the sky brightness roughly
7% brighter than close to aphelion. It is known
regularly that the sun shines for the northern
hemisphere longer when then the Earth close to
summer solstice in contrary when the earth closed to
winter solstice. The sky brightness at the latitude near
equator, 10LU and 10LS, is always higher than the
sky brightness at high latitude, 60LU and 60LS, both
in summer and winter solstice.
The variations of sky brightness will
influence the changes of contrast between
-1,05
H (km)
(c)
Figure 2. Contrast at different elevations in summer
solstice using the definition of M. Ilyas (a), Schaefer
(b), and A.H Sultan (c).
Contrast using M.Ilyas and A.H. Sultan
definition is inversely proportional to both the higher
elevation and sky brightness as shown in figure 2(a)
and 2(b). In contrary using the Schaefer definition the
value of contrast is proportional to both the higher
elevation and sky brightness as shown in figure 2(c).
The intensity of sky brightness is influenced
by relative humidity. The brightness increases when
the relative humidity goes lower. In a high humidity,
the total amount of water vapor, which absorbs the
 Contrast of Lunar Crescent Visibility 223

sky brightness, will increase. The variation of sky therefore it will lower both when the value of relative
brightness will affect the value of contrast. Therefore, humidity goes lower and the altitude of the Moon or
if the relative humidity changes, then the value of the Sun go higher. In contrary using the definition of
contrast will also change. Schaefer, the contrast is higher when both the relative
humidity goes lower and the Moon or Sun goes
higher
25 The separation between the sky direction
20 and the Moon or Sun, ρ sun and ρ moon , was also
(mag/square arc sec)

contribute to the sky brightness. Figure 6 shows that

15
B sky

the value of sky brightness in mag/sq. arcsec is

10 higher when the separation is larger. It means the sky
brightness is dimmer when the separation between
5
the Moon or Sun go larger.
0
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1
Relative Humidity 20
18

B sky (mag/square arc sec)

16
14
12
Moon
Figure 3. The changes of Sky brightness at different 10
Sun
8
value of relative humidity. 6
4
2
The variations of the altitude of the moon and the sun 0
0 5 10 15 20 25
will contribute to the sky brightness. Figures 5 shows Rho (degree)
the changes of sky brightness due to the variation of
the Moon and Sun altitude. The sky brightness is
proportional to the altitude of the Moon and Sun. Figure 5. The dependence of sky brightness to the
variation of the Moon and Sun altitudes.
3,5E+07
The gradually changes of sky brightness to
3,0E+07
the variation altitude of the Sun is larger than the
Sky Brightness (nL)

2,5E+07
gradually changes of the Moon altitude.
2,0E+07

1,5E+07 3. Result and Discussion

1,0E+07

5,0E+06 The value of sky brightness determined by

0,0E+00 some factors such as the position of the moon and the
0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 sun, the ascensiorecta of the sun, the moon
Moon's altitude (degree)
elongation, the latitude of the observer, the elevation
of the observer, the relative humidity of the location,
(a) and the separation between sky direction with the
moon and the sun, ρ moon and ρ sun .
The variation of sky brightness at latitudes
3,5E+07 in both winter and summer mainly influenced by the
3,0E+07 positions of the earth relatively to the sun, which are
Sky Brightness(nL)

2,5E+07 close to aphelion in summer and that to perihelion in

2,0E+07
winter. On the other side, as the elevation of observer
1,5E+07
1,0E+07
getting higher, the value of extinction as well as
5,0E+06
absorption will decrease. This implies to a less sky
0,0E+00 brightness. Relative humidity reflects a total mount
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 of water vapor in the air, acts as absorbing agent of
Sun's altitude(derajat)
sky brightness. Focal orientation, reflected by rho,
will determine the total intensity of rays collected by
(b) detector.
Figure 4. The dependence of sky brightness to the
changes of Moon’s altitude (a) and Sun’s altitude (b).
As the contrast of M.Ilyas and A.H Sultan
are inversely proportional to the sky brightness,
224 Eka Puspita Arumaningtyas and Moedji Raharto
4. Conclusions
From the calculation, we can conclude that
the variation of sky brightness is proportional to the
elevation and inversely proportional to the relative
humidity and rho. In the higher latitudes the sky
brightness will increase. In the other hand the
intensity of sky brightness was also influenced by the
changes of the elevation. The intensity of sky
brightness during winter solstice is higher than the
sky brightness during summer solstice.
The prediction of contrast using M. Ilyas’s
and A.H. Sultan’s definition was inversely
proportional to the sky brightness. However, the
prediction of contrast using Schaefer’s definition was
proportional to the sky brightness.
References
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Calendar, Times, & Qibla. Berita. Kuala Lumpur
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Factor from Number of Stars of The Tenth
Visual Magnitude to Reyleigh per Angstrom or
NanoLambert for Different Wavelenght.
Astrophysics and Space Science, Volume 253,
Issue 1, pp.1-5
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Technical Note No.69
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