It’s arduous to imagine we’re nonetheless a number of days away from a full moon, particularly when it appears nearly there tonight. The lunar cycle is a collection of eight distinctive phases of the moon’s visibility, and we’re nonetheless within the section earlier than a full moon. The complete cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these totally different phases occur because the Sun lights up totally different components of the moon while it orbits Earth.
So, what’s occurring with the moon tonight, Aug. 6?
What is at present’s moon section?
As of Wednesday, Aug. 6, the moon section is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, the moon might be 91% lit up tonight, the thirteenth day of the lunar cycle.
If you get pleasure from recognizing marks on the moon’s floor, that is the time of the lunar cycle to tug out the binoculars. With your unaided eye, you can spot many issues tonight, however most notably the Mare Cirisum, the Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Tycho Crater.
With binoculars, you may additionally have the ability to see the Mare Humorum, the Alps Mountains, and the Clavius Crater.
If you are fortunate sufficient to have a telescope, there are limitless geological options to identify, specifically the Caucasus Mountains, Apollo 11, and the Descartes Highlands.
When is the subsequent full moon?
The subsequent full moon might be on August 9. The final full moon was on July 10.
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What are moon phases?
According to NASA, moon phases are attributable to the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which modifications the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon appears from Earth because it goes round us. We all the time see the identical aspect of the moon, however how a lot of it’s lit up by the Sun modifications relying on the place it’s in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that seem utterly invisible. There are eight major moon phases, and so they comply with a repeating cycle:
New Moon – The moon is between Earth and the solar, so the aspect we see is darkish (in different phrases, it is invisible to the attention).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of sunshine seems on the best aspect (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the moon is lit on the best aspect. It appears like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it surely’s not fairly full but.
Full Moon – The complete face of the moon is illuminated and absolutely seen.
Waning Gibbous – The moon begins shedding mild on the best aspect.
Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half-moon, however now the left aspect is lit.
Waning Crescent – A skinny sliver of sunshine stays on the left aspect earlier than going darkish once more.