As the month of October progresses, the moon is approaching its New Moon phase, which will occur tomorrow. This means that tonight, the moon will be nearly invisible in the night sky, with only a mere 1% of its surface illuminated.
On October 20, the current moon phase is classified as a Waning Crescent. According to NASA“s Daily Moon Observation, the visibility is exceptionally low, resulting in a lack of details visible on the moon”s surface this evening.
Looking ahead, the next full moon will take place on November 5, marking a significant point in the lunar cycle.
Understanding Moon Phases
Moon phases are determined by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon”s orbit around Earth, which alters the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. As the moon travels through its orbit, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, resulting in various appearances from Earth.
Despite the moon always showing the same face to us, the illumination varies greatly, leading to the different phases we observe. The primary moon phases include:
- New Moon – The moon is positioned between Earth and the sun, rendering its visible side completely dark.
- Waxing Crescent – A small illuminated sliver appears on the right side.
- First Quarter – The right half of the moon is lit, resembling a half-moon.
- Waxing Gibbous – More than half of the moon is illuminated, yet it is not fully lit.
- Full Moon – The entire face of the moon is illuminated.
- Waning Gibbous – The moon begins to lose light on the right side.
- Third Quarter – The left half is illuminated, appearing as another half-moon.
- Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before it goes dark again.
As we await the New Moon, tonight”s Waning Crescent serves as a reminder of the natural rhythms of our celestial surroundings.
