The Full Moon has passed, but the Moon will still look almost completely lit tonight. It’s now beginning to wane, although you probably won’t notice much difference from the night before. Here’s what you can spot on the lunar surface tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, Sept. 28, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waning Gibbous phase, with 97% of its surface visible.
There’s still so much to see tonight, including the Mare Imbrium, Mare Serenitatis, and Mare Tranquillitatis which can be spotted without visual aids. If you have binoculars, they’ll also help you see the Clavius Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Gassendi Crater. Finally, if you have access to a telescope, you’ll see the Apollo 12 and 16 landing spots, plus the Rima Caucasus Mountains.
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 goes through a repeating cycle as it orbits Earth, taking roughly 29.5 days to complete. During that time, the amount of its sunlit side visible from Earth changes, giving us the different lunar phases. It starts with a slim crescent, grows to a half Moon and eventually reaches the Full Moon, before beginning the cycle again. NASA explains that which phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation 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.
Source: https://mashable.com/science/moon-phase-today-sept-28-2026
