David Bridges
Key Highlights
- Current Phase: The current moon phase is Waxing Crescent, with only 2% illumination.
- Next Full Moon: The upcoming full moon will occur on December 4, marking the last of three supermoons.
- Lunar Cycle: The lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, during which the moon goes through eight distinct phases.
- Visibility: Tonight, the moon is barely visible, gradually becoming brighter in the coming nights.
It’s day one of a new lunar cycle, so the moon’s barely there tonight. You won’t really see anything on its surface, but it’s just starting to get brighter again; it’ll gradually show more in the next few nights.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday Nov. 21, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 2% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation. There’s not enough moon lit up to spot anything on its surface tonight either.
The Waxing Crescent phase indicates that only a small portion of the moon is illuminated at this time.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be on Dec. 4; this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.
The upcoming full moon is significant as it concludes a series of supermoons observed this year.
What are moon phases?
Moon phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, according to NASA. They describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:
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).
Mashable Light Speed
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.
Daniel Mercer
