The Moon is currently in its Waxing Crescent phase, with illumination increasing nightly as it tracks toward the next Full Moon on November 24.
As of Sunday, Nov. 15, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker indicates 30% of the lunar surface is visible. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the Moon showed only 4% illumination, according to Mashable SEA. By Saturday, Nov. 14, that figure had risen to 22%, as reported by Yahoo Tech. Observers are encouraged to grab their viewing gear as the crescent continues to fill out.
Features such as the Mare Crisium and the Mare Fecunditatis remain visible to the naked eye. Those utilizing binoculars or a telescope can view additional landmarks, including the Endymion Crater, the Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Nectaris.
For those with high-powered telescopes, the landing sites of the Apollo 11 and 17 missions are also observable during this phase, Mashable reported. The Moon completes its full cycle in approximately 29.5 days, transitioning through eight distinct phases as it orbits Earth and changes the amount of reflected sunlight visible from our perspective.
It then moves through the Waxing Crescent, where a small sliver of light appears on the right side in the Northern Hemisphere. Subsequent stages include the First Quarter, where half of the Moon is lit on the right side, and the Waxing Gibbous, where more than half is lit up but not yet full.
Following the Full Moon, the cycle continues through the Waning Gibbous, where light is lost on the right side, the Third Quarter, which features a half-Moon with the left side lit, and finally the Waning Crescent, characterized by a thin sliver of light on the left side before the Moon goes dark again.
The Moon does not actually change shape; its appearance shifts because of its orbit around Earth. As it moves, the angle of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which dictates how much of the illuminated side is visible from our vantage point on Earth.
What are the characteristics of the eight Moon phases according to NASA? A waxing phase indicates that the illuminated portion of the Moon is increasing, moving toward a Full Moon. A waning phase means the illuminated portion is decreasing, occurring after the Full Moon as it heads back toward a New Moon.
“The Moon is getting a little bit bigger each night as we work through the lunar phases.”
— Yahoo Tech
This cycle represents a standard progression as the Moon moves toward the First Quarter phase.
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