It’s a special lunar night tonight, it’s the September Full Moon, and a total lunar eclipse.
Let’s find out what’s happening with the moon tonight, Sept. 7.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Sunday, Sept. 7, the moon phase is Full Moon, meaning 100% will be lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
This Sunday’s moon is a Full Moon, so your skies will be nice and bright. Even with the naked eye, you can spot many features on its surface, including the Aristarchus Plateau, Copernicus Crater, and Mare Crisium. Dig out your binoculars if you want to spot the Grimaldi Basin and the Gassendi Crater, and get a telescope to see the Fra Mauro Highlands.
A total lunar eclipse also happens the same day, but it won’t be visible in America, sadly.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Oct. 6.
What are moon phases?
According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:
Mashable Light Speed
New Moon – The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The moon starts losing light on the right side.
Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
