Because the equinox always falls in late September, it is generally a full Moon in September which is given this name, although in some years the full Moon of early October earns the "harvest" designation. Full Moon Calendar – When is the Next Full Moon. What's the Moon's phase tonight? At first quarter in the Northern Hemisphere, the right side of the Moon is illuminated; in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the left side. Click here >, Check the weather before a night of Moon gazing at weather.com, For a list of all the current meteor showers visit American Meteor Society. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens, only from left to right. Fri, 23 October . That’s when the darkened portion of the crescent glows dimly with light reflected from Earth. See it best from late night through early morning. They cross the sky with the sun during the day. Many people report seeing earthshine on a waxing crescent moon. From our perspective, the Moon appears totally dark: We can not usually see it because we are facing the Moon’s shadowed side, which does not receive any direct sunlight. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). Likewise, Earth's gravity creates a detectable bulge -- a 60-foot land tide -- on the Moon. The Moon takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth, but the lunar phase cycle (from new Moon to new Moon) is 29.5 days.

Thank you for subscribing to Moongiant's monthly Moon Updates. Let us know, ©2020 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory, September -- Fruit Moon (or Harvest Moon), October -- Hunter's Moon (or Harvest Moon). At the beginning of this stage, we see a thin, crescent-shape Moon, which, in the Northern Hemisphere, appears on the right side. Occasionally, if the new Moon’s position lines up correctly between the Sun and Earth, from our viewpoint it will cover part or all of the Sun’s disk, causing a solar eclipse. As mentioned above, the span of time between one new Moon and the next is called a lunar cycle, lunation, lunar month, or synodic month and on average lasts for 29.53059 days. 42.8% Visible. Here’s what to look for, and how to recognize this moon phase. Enter your postal code to get all this information customized to your location. This phase got its name because at this point the Moon has traveled 1/4 of the way through its orbit. It depends on several factors: the angle of the ecliptic (the Moon's path across the sky) with respect to the horizon, the clarity of the sky (how much dust and pollution gunks it up), and even the keenness of the observer's eyesight. The term "Moon's age" is not a reference to how long the Moon has existed (about 4.5 billion years, if you're wondering), but rather how many days it's been since the last new Moon. For more skywatching tips, astronomy news, and much more, read StarDate magazine. The eight Moon phases: New: We cannot see the Moon when it is a new moon. Use our Moon Phase Calendar to find dates and times of the full Moon, new Moon, and every phase in between. The four primary phases (in italics) rise and set at a point in time; the four secondary phases occur over a broader timespan. The Moon takes as much time to rotate once on its axis as it takes to complete one orbit of Earth. (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.) Half the moon always faces us. You can support StarDate radio by sponsoring our program for a day.

Beyond the phases of the Moon, you will also see daily Moon illumination percentages and the Moon's age. On average, there's a Blue Moon about every 33 months. But if we were to travel to the other side of the Moon, the part that faces the Sun, it would be totally illuminated. This is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun. Percent illumination, listed in the Moon Phase Calendar under the Moon symbol, tells us how much of the Moon’s disk is lit, as seen from Earth. Beyond the phases of the Moon, you will also find daily Moon illumination percentages and the Moon's current age.

While the exact origin of the phrase remains unclear, it does in fact refer to a rare blue coloring of the Moon caused by high-altitude dust particles. The shortest lunations result when the new Moon coincides with perigee and Earth is at aphelion. The most common names used in North America include: Because the time between two full Moons doesn't quite equal a whole month, approximately every three years there are two full Moons in one calendar month.

There is no real formula for determining the visibility of the young Moon. The waning gibbous moon falls between full and last quarter. There are 8 lunar phases the Moon goes through in its 29.53 days lunar cycle. Waxing Crescent: We see the waxing crescent phase as a thin crescent opening to the left. This phase got its name because at this point the Moon has traveled 3/4 of the way through its orbit, and has just one more (the last) quarter to complete one revolution. This phase occurs between the new Moon and first quarter phases. The illumination is constantly changing and can vary up to 10% a day. You’ll find a waning crescent moon in the east before sunrise.