The Moon is only a few nights away from reaching its full phase. If you're planning to take a look tonight, here's what to know about its current appearance and what you might spot on its surface.
What is today's Moon phase?
As of Saturday, Oct. 24, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 95% of its surface visible.
Tonight, without the use of visual aids you should be able to spot the Mares Imbrium, Serenitatis, Fecunditatis. If you have binoculars you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Nectaris. Finally, if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon takes around 29.5 days to travel around Earth, and its appearance changes throughout the month. As it moves around our planet, we see different amounts of its sunlit side, from a slim crescent to the quarter phases and eventually a Full Moon. It then begins the cycle again. As NASA explains, these phases are caused by the Moon's changing position relative to Earth and the Sun.
The eight phases are:
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).
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.
