It’s almost the Third Quarter phase of the Moon’s lunar cycle, which means only half of the Moon’s Earth-facing side will soon appear illuminated.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, July 6, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in its Waning Gibbous phase, with 66% of its surface visible.
With just above half of the Moon’s surface illuminated, there is still plenty to see. In fact, with just your naked eye, you’ll be able to spot the Kepler Crater, Mare Imbrium, and Oceanus Procellarum. Binoculars will help you see even more, so if you have them pull them out to see the Gassendi Crater, Alps Mountains, and the Apennine Mountains. And finally, keen moongazers with telescopes will also see the Apollo 14 landing spot and the Rima Ariadaeus.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon completes one orbit around Earth approximately every 29.5 days, moving through eight recognised phases along the way. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of its surface illuminated by the Sun changes as it travels around our planet. As a result, the Moon appears to shift in shape throughout the month, progressing from slender crescents to quarter moons and eventually reaching the brightly lit Full Moon stage. This repeating pattern is known as the lunar cycle.
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.
