Tonight is third quarter, meaning it’s a half moon with the left side still lit. There’s still a lot to see on the moon’s surface before it disappears completely, so keep reading to find out what you can see.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Wednesday, November 12, the moon phase is third quarter. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observations, this means 47% of the Moon is illuminated tonight.
Looking up without any visual aid you will be able to see Mare Imbrium and the craters Kepler and Tycho. If you have binoculars, in the lower left you will see the Grimaldi Basin, Mare Humorum and the Clavius crater.
If you have binoculars, you’ll be able to see Rayner Gamma, Apollo 14, and Rhema Ariades, and much more.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on December 4.
What are the moon phases?
The moon’s phases are part of the 29.5-day lunar cycle, according to NASAThe phases of the Moon describe how the Moon appears from Earth as it rotates around us, We always see the same part of the Moon, but how much of it is illuminated by the Sun depends on where it is in its orbit, So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not at all, There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:
There are eight main moon 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.