The moon is almost completely out of view, which can only mean one thing: the New Moon is almost here. The New Moon is the start of a new lunar cycle, and we’re now on day 26.
But what is the lunar cycle? According to NASA, it’s a 29.5-day series of eight unique phases of the moon’s visibility. These different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth, so let’s see what’s happening with the moon tonight, Sept. 18.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Thursday, Sept. 18, the moon phase is Waning Crescent, and it is 11% lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
Visibility is low right now, and there’s nothing to see without any visual aids. But if you have binoculars, you’ll be able to see the Grimaldi Basin. With a telescope, the Reiner Gamma will also come into view.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Oct. 6. The last full moon was on Sept. 7.
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.
