What is today’s moon phase?
As of Saturday, May 9, the moon phase is third quarter. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 56% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight.
If you don’t have any views near you tonight, you will be able to see Mare Imbrium, Tycho Crater and Oceanus Procellarum.
If you have binoculars, you’ll be able to see Mare Humorum, Alphonsus Crater and the Alps mountains, just to name a few. And not only that, if you have a telescope you will see all this and the Fra Mauro highlands and the Caucasus Mountains.
When is the next full moon?
There are two full moons in May, the next one will be on May 31st.
What are the moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete one complete orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight hits it changes as it moves, creating the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, the lunar cycle consists of eight main phases:
mashable light speed
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).
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.
<a href