There’s still a small sliver of moon on display tonight, but not so much to see anything. This is because we’re approaching the New Moon phase of the lunar cycle. Keep reading to find out what exactly this means.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Tuesday, Nov. 18, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 3% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
Don’t strain your eyes tonight, there’s too little moon to see anything. As we move towards the next lunar cycle, the moon will be small (and even out of sight) for a few days.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.
What are moon phases?
Moon phases are are part of a recurring lunar cycle (every 29.5 days), according to NASA. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes throughout its orbit. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:
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.
