Expected New Moons and Appointed Times for 2008

     Listed below are the computations for 2008 for the expected dates of New Moon visibility from Jerusalem, as well as the moladim (i.e., average time of astronomical conjunction) of the Calculated Rabbinical Calendar (CRC). The difference between the dates for the two calendars is also noted.

     The possible projected dates for the Eternal's Appointed Times for 2008 are given in the tables below the New Moon listings. There were two possible dates for the head of the year: March 9th and April 8th. The barley was not ready in March to declare the month of abib, thus the year commenced April 8th. 

     We will have no dates in common with the CRC-observant CoGs for the Holy Days this year.

PLEASE NOTE:  The "Visible Crescents" 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. [If the VISIBLE CRESCENT column lists Thursday, March 30, for example, then the 1st day of that month by crescent is from sunset of March 30 through sunset of March 31. If the CRC's MOLAD column lists Wednesday, March 29, then by CRC's molad, it is from sunset of March 29 through sunset of March 30.]

*Heavy Clouds blocked the view of the New Moon on these dates. On Wednesday, January 9, 2008, Nehemia Gordon reported, "observers across Israel looked for the new moon but it was not sighted. There was heavy cloud coverage. The moon had 1.38% illumination and 56 minutes lagtime which puts it within the potential visibility range based on previous sightings from Israel." On Saturday, March 8, 2008, Roy Hoffman reported, "The Moon was not seen from Israel tonight. Clouds were reported from Maale Adumim and Arad. The Moon would have been seen were it not for the clouds and haze." On Thursday, October 30, 2008 observers across Israel looked for the moon but it was not sighted. There were cloudy conditions throughout the Land, although new moon visibility was uncertain even under ideal weather conditions. The new moon should be easily visible from Israel tomorrow night (Friday Oct 31, 2008) making Friday night the beginning of New Moon day."

* molad - The CRC, contrary to what some may think, is not based on first visibilty of the moon after conjunction--it is based on the "molad." The Hebrew word means "birth," but the term in rabbinical calculated calendar usage refers to the average conjunction of the earth, moon, and sun (average length being 29.53059 days). The molad may occur on the actual astronomical new moon, but the two terms are not interchangable.  The molad may also occur upon the first day of crescent visibility, or yet within a few days on either side of it (as evidenced in the chart above).

Email: Brian Hoeck

Right Click on the image above and "Save Target" or "Save As" to download and be able to print a single card. Fold in half and laminate if available.
 

Word Document with five pocket cards

Just print and cut out and fold. Laminate if available.

Also check out this ONLINE 2008 calendar: 
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©2005 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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