The Moon entered the Waxing Crescent phase on Sunday, Oct. 11, with 1% of its surface visible, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker, Mashable reported. This phase follows a New Moon and marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle where a thin sliver of light appears on the right side for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Next Full Moon arrives October 25 or 26
The lunar cycle will progress from the current crescent phase through the quarter phases until it reaches a Full Moon. This event will occur on October 25 or 26, depending on the observer’s timezone, as reported by Mashable, Yahoo Tech, and Mashable SEA.
Did you know? The Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to complete a single orbit around Earth.
Lunar positions determine visible phases
NASA explains that the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon’s changing position in relation to both the Earth and the Sun. As the Moon orbits, the amount of its illuminated surface visible to Earth alters, creating a sequence of eight distinct phases.
The cycle begins with the New Moon, where the Moon sits between Earth and the sun, leaving the side facing Earth dark and invisible to the eye. It then moves into the Waxing Crescent and First Quarter—where half the Moon is lit on the right side—followed by the Waxing Gibbous and the Full Moon.
The cycle then reverses as the Moon continues its orbit. It enters the Waning Gibbous, where light begins to disappear from the right side in the Northern Hemisphere, followed by the Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) with the left side lit, and finally the Waning Crescent before returning to a New Moon.
Observing craters and landing sites
By Oct. 4, as the Moon moved into the Waning Crescent phase with 42% visibility, Yahoo Tech noted that the naked eye could see the Oceanus Procellarum, Kepler Crater, and Tycho Crater. Binoculars provided views of the Grimaldi Basin and Mare Humorum, and telescopes could identify the Schiller Crater and the Apollo 14 landing spot.
Lunar phase visibility comparison
The amount of the Moon’s surface visible changes rapidly as it moves through its orbit.
| Date | Phase | Surface Visible | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2 | Waning Gibbous | 64% | Mashable SEA |
| Oct. 4 | Waning Crescent | 42% | Yahoo Tech |
| Oct. 11 | Waxing Crescent | 1% | Mashable |
Common questions about lunar cycles
Why does the Moon appear to change shape?
The appearance changes because the Moon’s position shifts relative to the Earth and Sun during its 29.5-day orbit, altering how much of the illuminated side is visible from Earth.
Which side of the Moon is lit during a Waxing Crescent?
In the Northern Hemisphere, a small sliver of light appears on the right side of the Moon during this phase.
What is the difference between waxing and waning?
Waxing refers to the period when the visible illuminated surface is increasing toward a Full Moon, while waning refers to the period when the visible light is decreasing toward a New Moon.
The current Waxing Crescent phase will continue to grow in visibility as the Moon moves toward the Full Moon on October 25 or 26.
Worth a look