The Moon is slowly turning back towards us, but it’s still a little dark to see anything on its surface. It’s only the second day of the lunar cycle, so we’ll have to wait a few more nights before it shows its features.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday November 21st, the Moon’s phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observations, this means 5% of the Moon is illuminated tonight. This means there is nothing to see on its surface even tonight.
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?
NASA tells us that all phases of the Moon are part of a repeating 29.5-day lunar cycle. These phases show how the Moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it varies throughout its orbit. That is why sometimes it appears full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears completely (Amavasya). 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).
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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.