Thin Crescent Moons and Amateur Astronomers

Sky and Telescope has an interesting article on observing thin crescent moons, shortly after they become visible. "Seeking Thin Crescent Moons" has a set of maps showing where some of this years early crescent moons can be observed in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately I already missed my opportunity in Peru a few days ago.

There's also a story about a newborn nebula that has been recently reobserved by an amateur astronomer in Phoenix. It appears that the nebula has been observed off-and-on over the past 30 years. Here's a perfect example of how amateur observing can make contributions to professional science.