Image a crescent and a cluster

The early months of the year are great for observing, imaging or simply appreciating the beauty of the waxing crescent Moon. This is because the plane of Earth’s orbit (the ecliptic) makes a steep angle with the western horizon after sunset. The Moon’s orbit is inclined to the ecliptic by 5°, meaning the Moon never wanders too far from the ecliptic’s position in the sky. As a consequence, at this time of the year, the earlier phases of the Moon are presented at their best.