Ever wondered why the moon looks different tonight than it did last night? It’s not random; the moon is actually moving through a cycle of eight phases known as the lunar cycle. The cycle lasts around 29.5 days, and happens as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth.
Cool, right? Keep reading to see where the moon is as of Sept. 26 in the lunar cycle.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday, Sept. 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent, and according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, there is 19% visible.
It’s day five of the lunar cycle, and the moon well and truly feels like it’s coming back to us. With just your naked eye, look to the top right of the moon to see the Mare Crisium. If you avert your gaze to the middle right of the moon, you’ll also see the Mare Fecunditatis. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, these will be positioned towards the bottom left.
Much like last night’s viewing, you’ll also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater with binoculars or a telescope.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Oct. 6. The last full moon was on Sept. 7.
What are moon phases?
NASA tells us that moon phases are part of a 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit. This changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us; sometimes it looks full, sometimes it looks like it’s disappeared entirely, but we always see the same side of the moon, it’s just how much of it is lit up by the Sun that changes depending on where it is in its orbit.
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This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:
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.
Last Quarter (or Third 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.
