After nights of little visibility, the moon is finally putting on a show tonight. Keep reading to find out what you can see.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Saturday, Oct. 25, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. There will be 14% of the moon lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
After nights of too little visibility, the moon is finally big enough to see some features on its surface. Without any visual aids you should be able to see the Mare Crisium and the Mare Fecunditatis. With the addition of binoculars or a telescope you’ll also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater.
As we’ve surpassed the new moon, these will be visible on the right side of the moon now. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, it’ll be the left side.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
What are moon phases?
According to NASA, moon phases, like Waxing Crescent, are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit. The cycle occurs when the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth change. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle.
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.
