The Moon is getting a little bit bigger each night as we work through the lunar phases. We’re still in the Waxing Crescent phase, which means more of the Moon is becoming illuminated each evening as it makes its way towards the First Quarter
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Saturday, Nov. 14, the NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 22% of its surface visible.
If you don’t have any visual aids, you can see see some features on the Moon’s surface tonight, specifically the Mare Crisium and the Mare Fecunditatis. With binoculars or a telescope, you’ll also see the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on November 24.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. As it orbits Earth, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface that we can see changes, creating the different phases. This takes us from the New Moon to the Full Moon and back again, before the cycle begins once more, according to NASA.
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.
