It’s almost the New Moon and each night the moon is becoming less visible, marking the end of its current cycle before it starts to grow brighter again. This lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, moving from New Moon to Full Moon and back as the Moon orbits Earth.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Thursday, Oct. 16, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. Tonight, only 22% will be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
There’s a little less visibility tonight, but there’s something to see. You won’t need any visual aids to see the Aristarchus Plateau and the Kepler Crater. Binoculars will aid you in seeing the Mare Humorum, Grimaldi Basin, and the Oceanus Procellarum. With a telescope, you’ll also see the Reiner Gamma, a lunar swirl on the moon’s surface, as well as the Schiller Crater.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
What are moon phases?
The Moon follows a continuous cycle that lasts about 29.5 days as it travels around Earth. These shifts occur because the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are always changing relative to one another. From Earth, we might see the Moon as full, partly lit, or completely dark, but the same side always faces us. What varies each night is how much sunlight reaches and reflects off its surface.
The eight main moon 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.
