After nights of almost complete darkness, the Moon is finally illuminated enough to be able to spot some lunar features on its surface. Keep reading to find out what you might be able to see.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, Aug. 16, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 15% of its surface visible.
There’s finally some features to spot again, both with and without visual aids. Without any, you can see the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. With binoculars or a telescope you’ll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon doesn’t look the same from Earth every night. As it travels around our planet, it moves through a lunar cycle that takes roughly 29.5 days to complete, according to NASA. The changing positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon affect how much of the Moon’s sunlit side we can see, creating the different phases. Over the course of the cycle, the Moon progresses from a narrow crescent to a half Moon and eventually a Full Moon, before starting the sequence over again.
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.
