It’s day two of the new lunar cycle which means the Moon will slowly be getting brighter in the nights ahead as more of its surface becomes illuminated. It’ll keep increasing in visibility from now until the Full Moon, when it will start to fade again.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Saturday, March 21, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 7% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
There’s still too little of the Moon’s surface illuminated tonight to be able to see any features on its surface, but check again tomorrow.
When is the next Full Moon?
In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight different phases. We always see the same side, but the Sun lights up different portions as it moves, which is why it can look full, half, or just a thin sliver. These changing shapes are called the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:
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.
