Some nights the Moon looks like a perfect circle, other nights just a sliver. These changes in its shape are to do with the lunar cycle. This is a series of eight unique phases of the Moon’s visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the Moon whilst it orbits Earth.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Saturday, March 7, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 85% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
With no visual aids, tonight you can see the Aristarchus Plateau, Kepler Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars, you should also catch a glimpse of the Grimaldi Basin, Gassendi Crater, and Apennine Mountains. A telescope will let you see even more, with particular note to Apollo 11 and Fra Mauro Highlands.
When is the next Full Moon?
In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says the Moon takes around 29.5 days to circle Earth, moving through a set of eight distinct phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it travels, which is why it can look full, half-lit, or barely visible at different points in the cycle. These changing views are what we call the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:
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.
