The moon goes via a repeating cycle of phases every month, altering what we see each night time. This is known as the lunar cycle.
The lunar cycle is a collection of eight distinctive phases of the moon’s visibility. The complete cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these completely different phases occur because the Sun lights up completely different components of the moon while it orbits Earth.
So, what’s taking place with the moon tonight, Aug. 15?
What is right now’s moon section?
As of Friday, Aug. 15, the moon section is Waning Gibbous, and it’s 58% lit as much as us on Earth, in accordance with NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
Alongside this, with no visible aids on the moon, you possibly can spot the Mare Imbrium, Copernicus Crater, and the Oceanus Procellarum, an “Ocean of Storms” that covers greater than 10% of the moon’s floor.
With binoculars, get pleasure from glimpses of the Gassendi Crater, Alphonsus Crater, and the Alps Mountains. If you might have a telescope, the Apollo 12, Caucasus Mountains, and the Schiller Crater will all be in view too.
When is the following full moon?
The subsequent full moon can be on Sept. 7. The final full moon was on Aug. 9.
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What are moon phases?
According to NASA, moon phases are brought on by 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 to be like 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 fully invisible. There are eight most important moon phases, they usually observe 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 precise aspect (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the moon is lit on the precise aspect. It appears to be like like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, nevertheless it’s not fairly full but.
Full Moon – The complete face of the moon is illuminated and totally seen.
Waning Gibbous – The moon begins dropping gentle on the precise 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.