What is today’s moon phase?
As of Wednesday, April 8, the Moon’s phase is waning gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 68% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight.
There’s plenty for you to see on the moon’s surface tonight, even if you don’t have any visual aids. Just by looking up, you should be able to see Mare Imbrium, Tycho Crater, and Oceanus Procellarum. With binoculars, you’ll also be able to see Gassendi Crater, Grimaldi Basin, and Clavius Crater. Finally, if you have binoculars, expect to see features like the Apollo 12 landing spot and Schiller Crater.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon is estimated to occur on May 1, the first of two in May.
What are the moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight unique phases along the way. Although we always see the same side from Earth, different parts of its surface are illuminated by the Sun as it orbits it, making it appear fully illuminated, partially illuminated, or as a thin crescent. These changing scenes are called lunar phases, and there are eight in total:
New Moon – The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it is invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small patch of light visible to the right (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – The right half of the Moon is illuminated. It looks like a half moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half burnt, but not full yet.
Full Moon – The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and completely visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon begins to lose light from the right. (Northern hemisphere)
Third quarter (or last quarter) – Another half moon, but now the left side is illuminated.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left before it gets dark again.
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