You are absolutely right! We think that it would be especially rare, and lucky, to see a new Moon over one’s right shoulder—since it is practically impossible to do so! The new Moon rises around the time of the Sun, and travels the sky in daytime; the sunlight prevents us from seeing it with just our eyes. One might, with special eye protection, be able to see a new Moon during a solar eclipse, though.
We’re not sure how this folklore came about, but it might actually refer to the thinnest crescent just past the new Moon phase; this is sometimes referred to as the 鈥渘ew Moon鈥 even though the actual moment of the phase (when the Moon is totally dark from our view) has passed.
You are absolutely right! We think that it would be especially rare, and lucky, to see a new Moon over one’s right shoulder—since it is practically impossible to do so! The new Moon rises around the time of the Sun, and travels the sky in daytime; the sunlight prevents us from seeing it with just our eyes. One might, with special eye protection, be able to see a new Moon during a solar eclipse, though.
We’re not sure how this folklore came about, but it might actually refer to the thinnest crescent just past the new Moon phase; this is sometimes referred to as the 鈥渘ew Moon鈥 even though the actual moment of the phase (when the Moon is totally dark from our view) has passed.