The Moon is looking even slimmer again tonight as it continues towards the New Moon. There’s now less of its surface lit by the Sun, which means we’re not far away from the next lunar phase.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, Sept. 7, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in Waning Crescent phase, with 18% of its surface visible.
With just your naked eye, you’ll able be able to make out the Aristarchus Plateau. If you have binoculars or a telescope, however, you should be able to see the Grimaldi Basin and the Gassendi Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon’s appearance gradually changes as it travels around Earth, completing a full lunar cycle in approximately 29.5 days, NASA tells us. What we see from Earth depends on the Moon’s position in relation to the Sun, which affects how much of its illuminated side is visible. As the cycle progresses, the Moon passes through a series of phases, from a thin crescent to a half Moon and then a Full Moon, before starting over.
The eight phases are:
Mashable Light Speed
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).
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.
