There is still a small sliver of the Moon on display tonight, but not much to see. This is because we are approaching the new moon phase of the lunar cycle. Keep reading to find out what this really means.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Tuesday, November 18, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observations, this means that 3% of the Moon is illuminated tonight.
Don’t strain your eyes tonight, the moon is too low to see anything. As we move toward the next lunar cycle, the Moon will become smaller (and even out of sight) for a few days.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on December 4, making it the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on 5 November.
What are the moon phases?
Moon phases are part of the recurring lunar cycle (every 29.5 days), according to NASAThese phases show how the Moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet, While we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of sunlight falling on it varies throughout its orbit, So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not at all (aka, the new moon), There are eight main moon 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).
mashable light speed
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.