Wondering where the moon is disappearing to? This is due to the lunar cycle, meaning each night a bit less of it is lit up until it disappears completely at the New Moon.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Sunday, Nov. 16, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 12% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
There’s not as much to see tonight, but if you look hard enough, you might spot a few features. If you don’t have any visual aids, you’ll be able to spot the Aristarchus Plateau. This is a 25-mile diameter crater. With binoculars you’ll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, and with a telescope you’ll see the Reiner Gamma.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.
What are moon phases?
Moon phases, like the Waning Crescent, are all part of a 29.5-day lunar cycle, according to NASA. These 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. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating 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.
