Expected New Moons and Appointed Times for 2020

Listed below are the computations for 2020 for the expected dates of New Moon visibility from Israel. The possible projected dates for the Appointed Times for 2020 are given in a second table below the New Moons table.

PLEASE NOTE:  The "Date of Visibility" column dates are the dates on which the New Moon is expected to be seen--beginning at sunset of the listed day. All dates listed are to be reckoned from sunset of listed day and date through the next day at sunset in the following New Moon table.

2020/2021 New Moon Data

New Moon

Date of Visibility
Sunset
Moon Set
Lag Time

% of Illum.

Moon Alt.
Sun Alt.
VN

Sighted?

12th

Sunday, January 26, 2020 5:07
6:34
87 min.

2.99 %

15.4
-17.9
200.9
Yes
13th Tuesday, February 25, 2020* 5:33
7:11
98 min.
3.81%
18.7
-20.8
239.9
Yes

1st

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 5:54
6:52
 58 min.

 1.63%

11.0
-12.3
132.0

Yes

2nd

Friday, April 24, 2020
7:14
8:31
77 min.
2.39%
14.3
-15.1
174.0
Haze

3rd

Sunday, May 24, 2020* 7:35
9:18
103 min.
3.87%
18.6
-18.1
235.5
Yes

4th

Monday, June 22, 2020 7:48
9:03
75 min.
2.31%
13.2
-13.0
161.8
Yes

5th

Monday, July 21, 2020* 7:43
8:35
52 min.
1.28%
9.33
-9.81
109.9

7/22

6th

Thursday, August 20, 2020
7:17
8:34
77 min.
3.67%
15.0
-15.3
197.0
Yes

7th

Friday, September 18, 2020 6:41
7:41
60 min.
2.35%
11.7
-12.8
148.1

Yes

8th

Sunday, October 18, 2020* 6:03
7:29
86 min.
5.05%
15.5
-18.3
234.6

Yes

9th

Monday, November 16, 2020 4:39
5:50
71 min.

2.89%

11.8
-14.4
168.2

Yes

10th

Wednesday, December 16, 2020* 4:37
6:26
109 min.
5.03%
17.1
-21.6
263.1

Yes

11th

Thursday, January 14, 2021
4:57
6:15
78 min.
2.58%
13.0
-15.6
174.7
Yes

12th

Monday, February 13, 2021
5:24
7:03
99 min.
3.85%
18.4
-20.9
240.3
Yes
1st
Sunday, March 14, 2021
5:46
6:46
60 min.
1.64%
11.3
-12.7
135.1
Yes

* Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - The moon may possibly be visible one evening earlier, but most likely not. Here are the stats for that date:  On Monday evening (February 24), we expect a 5:32 pm sunset & 6:17 pm moon set (therefore, a lag time of 45 minutes), a 1.09% of illumination, with a lunar altitude at sunset of 8.09 degrees and a solar altitude of -9.54 at moonset. VN = 98.03

* Monday, July 21, 2020 - The moon may possibly not be visible until one evening later. Here are the stats for that date:  On Tuesday evening (July 22), we expect a 7:42 pm sunset & 9:20 pm moon set (therefore, a lag time of 98 minutes), a 5.07% of illumination, with a lunar altitude at sunset of 18.7 degrees and a solar altitude of -17.5 at moonset. VN = 250.1

* Sunday, October 18, 2020 - The moon may possibly be visible one evening earlier, but most likely not. Here are the stats for that date:  On Saturday evening (October 17), we expect a 6:04 pm sunset & 6:48 pm moon set (therefore, a lag time of 44 minutes), a 1.13% of illumination, with a lunar altitude at sunset of 8.03 degrees and a solar altitude of -9.30 at moonset. VN = 97.15

* Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - The moon may possibly be visible one evening earlier, but most likely not. Here are the stats for that date:  On Tuesday evening (December 15), we expect a 4:37 pm sunset & 5:24 pm moon set (therefore, a lag time of 47 minutes), a 1.21% of illumination, with a lunar altitude at sunset of 7.40 degrees and a solar altitude of -9.06 at moonset. VN = 97.45

2020 Appointed Times (March 25th/26th New Year)

Event

begins sunset of

ends sunset of

Passover (Lord's Supper)  - Aviv 14

Tuesday, April 7

Wednesday, April 8

Feast of Unleavens (1st day) - Aviv 15

Wednesday, April 8

Thursday, April 9

Elevation Sheaf Day (aka "wave sheaf")    

Saturday, April 11

Sunday, April 12

Feast of Unleavens (7th day) - Aviv 21

Tuesday, April 14

Wednesday, April 15

Pentecost

Saturday, May 30

Sunday, May 31

Day of Shouting (aka "Trumpets")

Friday, September 18

Saturday, September 19 

Day of Atonement

Sunday, September 27

Monday, September 28

Feast of Tabernacles (1st day)

Friday, October 2

Saturday, October 3

8th Day Assembly

Friday, October 8

Saturday, October 9

Understanding the Calculations

Visibility Number (VN) is the difference between the sun and moon setting times plus 27 times the illuminated percent of the moon plus 5.5 times the altitude of the moon at sunset minus 5 times the altitude of the sun at moonset, all divided by 1.7.

If the VN is:

*  less than 88 then the New Moon will not be seen
*  between 88 and 100, it will probably not be seen
*  between 100 and 112, it will probably be seen
*  anything greater than 112, it will be seen in reasonable conditions.

EXAMPLE:  The sun will set in Jerusalem at 6:37. The moon will set at 7:36. This is a 59 minute lag time (lag time = the time between sunset and moonset) -- plenty of time for the sky to darken enough after sunset for the moon to be sighted. 2.39% of the lunar surface will be illuminated. And the moon's altitude at sunset will be 11.4 degrees. The sun's altitude at moonset will be -12.6 degrees.

So using the calculations, we have 59 [lag time] + (27 x 2.39 = 64.53) [27 times illuminated percent] + (5.5 x 11.4 = 62.7) [5.5 times lunar altitude] - (5 x -12.6 = -63) [5 times sun's altitude] divided by 1.7 = 146.6

As seen above, anything over 112 should be visible (the higher the number, the greater the visibility), and we have a VN of 146.6 -- hence, New Moon!

Email: Brian Hoeck

©2020 Truth On The Web Ministries: All the articles originated by Kenneth Hoeck and/or Brian Hoeck may be freely distributed or mirrored as long as presented in their entirety (including this statement), attributed to Truth on The Web, and proper author credit given.

See also Projected Appointed Times for 2001-2030

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