What is the current moon cycle

The fourth phase of the lunar cycle; occurs between the first quarter Moon and the Full Moon. The waxing phases represent the Moon becoming more illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase, the Moon appears about half-lit, what is the current moon cycle, and then the illuminated area slowly expands until the Full Moon phase. You can see what the Moon looks like tonight and every day of the month! This Moon calendar is conveniently set to YOUR local time, meaning you can start using it immediately without having to adjust it.

The current moon phase for today is the Waxing Gibbous phase. On this day, the moon is The approximate distance from Earth to the moon is , The Moon phase for today is a Waxing Gibbous phase. In the Northern Hemisphere, the right side will be illuminated, and in the Southern hemisphere it'll be the left side that is illuminated. The Waxing Gibbous phase, like all moon phases, will last for just over 7 days. The actual length will vary because of the elliptical shaped orbit of the moon.

What is the current moon cycle

Today, Feb. Moon phases reveal the passage of time in the night sky. Some nights when we look up at the moon , it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases of the moon new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter occur about a week apart, with the full moon its most dazzling stage. Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space. He covers skywatching, human spaceflight, exploration as well as space science and entertainment, and enjoys observing the moon through a tabletop Celestron telescope when the weather is clear. While the moon has four primary phases each month, it is always changing. As you observe the moon during the month, watch as it grows from a new moon to a first quarter moon. As it grows, it is known as a waxing moon, and gradually increases from a waxing "crescent" for its shape into the first quarter moon. As it continues to brighten, it takes on an oblong, or "gibbous," shape until it reaches the full moon stage. Then it will repeat the steps in reverse as it heads back to a new moon. You can see what today's moon phase is here with the embedded widget on this page, courtesy of In-The-Sky.

Most Popular.

Order Your Almanac Today! What's the Moon's phase today? With our Moon Phase Calendar , you'll find the current Moon phase for tonight—plus, all the phases of the Moon for each day of the month. As a result, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the Moon and travels to our eyes changes every day. The Moon itself produces no light of its own. The length of the cycle can vary slightly, but on average, it is The primary phases occur at a specific moment, no matter where you are on Earth, which is then converted to local time.

We always see the same side of the Moon, because as Earth's natural satellite revolves around our planet, the Moon rotates, causing the same side to always face us. And yet, the Moon looks a little different every night. Sometimes the entire face glows brightly. Sometimes we only see a thin crescent. Other times the Moon seems to disappear entirely. Why does the Moon's appearance change? The moonlight we see on Earth is sunlight reflected off the Moon's grayish-white surface. The amount of Moon we see illuminated changes over the month — lunar phases — because the Moon orbits Earth and Earth orbits the Sun.

What is the current moon cycle

The second phase of the lunar cycle; occurs between the New Moon and the first quarter Moon. The waxing phases represent the Moon becoming more illuminated, so at the beginning of this phase, the Moon appears thin, crescent-shaped, and then the illuminated area slowly expands until the first quarter phase. You can see what the Moon looks like tonight and every day of the month! This Moon calendar is conveniently set to YOUR local time, meaning you can start using it immediately without having to adjust it. Plus, you can check Moon phases from as far back as or look ahead all the way to The Moon is a spherical object, and it's consistently half-illuminated by the Sun in space. Yet, as the Moon travels around the Earth, its appearance in our sky is constantly changing. There are eight traditionally recognized Moon phases.

Blessing garden lawn

The Moon is a spherical object, and it's consistently half-illuminated by the Sun in space. The Moon appears in a three-dimensional perspective. What are the Moon phases? The Full Moon is the most exciting phase to observe with the naked eye. The Moon phase for today is a Waxing Gibbous phase. Do the phases of the Moon affect the tides? This observed phenomenon is called a tide. Note: The synodic month describes the time for the Moon to complete one orbit around Earth and return to the same position relative to the Sun and Earth. View Deal. Now, the moon is between Earth and the sun. Waning gibbous : More than half of the moon's face appears to be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing. Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to see the exact moment of a phase, in part because the Moon may not have risen yet in your area. The Moon cycle is one revolution of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth.

The Moon's current phase for today and tonight is a Waxing Crescent Phase. Best seen in the west after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. This is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon's surface.

After the New Moon, a small portion of the lunar disc becomes visible, forming a crescent shape. Find your daily Moon Phase going back to and forward through It takes about This darkness makes it possible to observe faint celestial objects that can be difficult to see in a moonlit sky. The sun's light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon. As it orbits the Earth, the angle between the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun changes, and we see more or less of the Moon's lit-up side. Last quarter : The moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. Social Links Navigation. Trending Private Odysseus moon landing! He is also an Eagle Scout yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. Two to four tides can occur in one day.