What is today’s moon phase?
As of Monday, December 8, the Moon’s phase is waning gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observations, this means 83% of the Moon is illuminated tonight.
More than half of the Moon is still visible, so only with the naked eye you can see Mare Tranquillitatis, Tycho Crater, and Copernicus Crater., If you have binoculars on hand, take them out to see Gassendi Crater, Endymion Crater and the Alps Mountains. And a telescope will help you see where you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 16 landing spot, Rhema Ariades, and Lynn Crater.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on January 3.
What are the moon phases?
NASA explained that the lunar cycle (which is approximately 29.5 days long) is made up of the moon’s phases, which explain how the moon appears from Earth as it rotates around us. We see the same part of the Moon all the time, but as it moves through its orbit, sunlight hits its surface. That changing light is what causes the Moon to appear full, half illuminated, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:
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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