We’re approaching a new lunar phase, the Third Quarter. This is when the Moon appears to be illuminated by half following the Full Moon. It’s just one of eight unique phases of the Moon’s visibility, with the whole lunar cycle taking around 29.5 days.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, March 8, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 70% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
If it’s a clear sky tonight you should be able to see the Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Imbrium, and the Copernicus Crater. If you have binoculars, you’ll be able to see even more, including the Grimaldi Basin, Alphonsus Crater, and Alps Mountains. If you’re a keen sky-gazer and have a telescope to hand, set this up to see glimpses of the Apollo 16 landing spot, Rima Hyginus and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to circle Earth, while it moves through a set of eight phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it travels, which is why it can look full, half-lit, or barely visible at different points in the cycle. These changing views are what we call the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
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