The moon is currently in its “waning” phase, this means each night it will get less and less visible until the New Moon, and the start of a new lunar cycle.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Monday, Nov. 10, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 68% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
So, what’s visible in the sky tonight? Even with nothing but your eyes, you can make out the Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Imbrium, and Copernicus Crater. Grab some binoculars, and you’ll also spot the Mare Humorum, Gassendi Crater, and Clavius Crater. If you’ve got a telescope, you’ll get an even closer look at the Schiller Crater, the Rima Hyginus, and the Apollo 14 landing spot.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.
What are moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon completes an orbit around Earth roughly every 29.5 days, passing through distinct phases along the way. These phases happen due to the shifting angles between the Sun, Earth, and Moon. From our perspective, the Moon may look fully bright, partially lit, or entirely dark, though the same side always faces us. The difference is in how sunlight reflects off its surface, forming a regular pattern called the lunar cycle.
The eight main moon phases are:
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. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last 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.
