The moon is shrinking each night as we move toward the New Moon, and tonight it’s showing just a slim crescent, a nod to the current phase, Waning Crescent. However, we’re early in this stage, so there’s still plenty to spot on its surface if you look closely.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday, Nov. 14, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 27% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
What can you see when you look up? Well, specifically, without any visual aids you can see the Kepler Cater and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, to the bottom left you’ll also see the Grimaldi Basin. If you have a telescope, you’ll see more towards the bottom left (top right, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere), including the Schiller Crater and Apollo 12 landing spot.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.
What are moon phases?
Moon phases are part of a 29.5-day lunar cycle, according to NASA. These 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. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). 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.
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