It’s the First Quarter tonight, which means the Moon is half-illuminated and positioned 90 degrees from the Sun. This phase also marks the midpoint between the New Moon and the Full Moon.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday, Nov. 28, the moon phase is First Quarter. This means 53% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
The moon is half full tonight, so there’s at least half of it ready to be gazed at. So, what can you see when you look up? According to NASA, without any visual aids you should be able to spot the Vaporum, Tranquillitatis, and Serenitatis Mares. With binoculars you’ll also be able to spot the Endymion and Alphonsus Craters as well as the Mare Nectaris. If you have a telescope, pull it out to try and catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots, and the Descartes Highlands.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.
What are moon phases?
According to NASA, moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a repeating cycle that lasts around 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. We always see the same side of the moon, but the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely. There are eight moon phases:
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).
Mashable Light Speed
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.
