Have you noticed that the Moon is getting a little bigger each night? That’s because of where we are in the lunar cycle. Keep scrolling to find out what that means for tonight’s moon.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 59% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
You won’t need any visual aids to see anything tonight, the mares Vaporum, Tranquillitatis, and Serenitatis are all easy to spot. And if you add binoculars you’ll also be able to see the Mare Nectaris, and the Alphonsus Crater. Add a telescope to this line up and you’ll see much more, including the Apollo 16 and 11 landing spots, and the Rima Ariadaeus.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit the Earth. Over the course of this period, it moves through eight recognisable phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it continues along its path. The shifts in sunlight create the different appearances we see from Earth, ranging from a fully illuminated Moon to a thin sliver or near darkness. The eight phases are:
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.
