The Moon is nearing the end of its current lunar cycle, with the New Moon just around the corner. This cycle takes approximately 29.5 days to complete, taking the Moon from new moon to full moon and back again. We’re now in the final stages, so here’s what the moon will look like tonight.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Monday, October 5, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide The tracker tells us that the Moon is in the waning crescent phase, with 31% of its surface visible.
Only with your naked eye can you see Oceanus Procellarum and Kepler Crater tonight. If you have binoculars, you can also see the Grimaldi Basin, Copernicus Crater, and Mare Humorum. Finally, if you have access to binoculars, you’ll see the Apollo 12 landing spot and Schiller Crater.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on October 25 or 26, depending on your time zone.
What are the moon phases?
The Moon takes about 29.5 days to revolve around the Earth, and as it goes through this cycle, we see varying amounts of the sunlit side of it from here. This is what creates the various phases of the Moon, from a thin crescent to a half moon and, eventually, to a full moon. Once it reaches the full moon, the cycle begins again. NASA Explains that the phase we see depends on the position of the Moon in relation to the Earth and the Sun.
The eight steps are:
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New Moon – The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it is invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small patch of light visible to the right (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – The right half of the Moon is illuminated. It looks like a half moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half burnt, but not full yet.
Full Moon – The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and completely visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon begins to lose light from the right. (Northern hemisphere)
Third quarter (or last quarter) – Another half moon, but now the left side is illuminated.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left before it gets dark again.