We’re well and truly in the new lunar cycle, and after nights of no joy, keen moon gazers can finally spot some surface features again tonight. Keep reading to find out what you can spot on the Moon tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, April 20, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 11% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.
Visual aids or not, tonight you’re in luck. If you’re looking up at the Moon with just your naked eye, expect to catch a glimpse of the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. If you have either binoculars or a telescope, you’ll see these as well as the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight distinct phases along the way. We always see the same side, but the part lit by the Sun changes as it moves around its orbit, creating the familiar sequence of full, partial, and crescent shapes. These changing appearances are known as lunar phases. 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.
