The full moon may be behind us, but there’s still plenty of activity to be seen on the moon as October comes to an end.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Thursday, October 29, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide The tracker tells us that the Moon is in the waning gibbous phase, with 87% of its surface visible.
Tonight, you should be able to see Tycho Crater, Copernicus Crater and Mare Imbrium without the use of visual aids. Binoculars will also help you see Posidonius Crater, Mare Humorum and Grimaldi Basin. Also, if you have binoculars, you’ll also see the Apollo 12 landing site, Rupes Altai, and the Caucasus Mountains.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on 24 November.
What are the moon phases?
The Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete one orbit around the Earth, and goes through a series of phases along the way. Depending on its position relative to the Earth and the Sun, we can see changes in the amount of its illuminated surface, creating the familiar sequence of crescent moon, quarter moon and full moon. Once the cycle is complete, the pattern repeats, as explained NASA.
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.