What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday, November 28, the moon phase is first quarter. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observations, this means 53% of the Moon is illuminated tonight.
The moon is half full tonight, so at least half of it is up for viewing. So, what can you see when you look up? According to NASA, you should be able to see Vaporum, Tranquillitatis and Serenitatis Mars without any visual aid. With binoculars you will be able to see the craters Endymion and Alphonsus as well as Mare Nectaris. If you have binoculars, take them out to catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 17 landing sites and the Descartes Highlands.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on December 4, the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on 5 November.
What are the moon phases?
According to NASA, the moon phases themselves create the lunar cycle, a repeating cycle that lasts about 29.5 days. These phases show how the Moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of sunlight illuminating it varies throughout its orbit. That is why sometimes it appears complete, sometimes half, and sometimes it disappears completely. The eight lunar phases are:
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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