Moon Tonight — Nov. 9: Waning Gibbous (78% Lit) — What to Look For

Moon phase for Nov. 9

If you’ve noticed the Moon changing night to night, that’s the lunar phases at work. Tonight is day 19 of the lunar cycle, which changes how much of the Moon’s surface is illuminated as seen from Earth.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Nov. 9, the Moon is in a waning gibbous phase. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, about 78% of the Moon’s visible disk is illuminated this evening.

What you can see tonight

Even without optical aid, you can pick out several large features thanks to the strong contrast of the waning gibbous phase:

• Unaided eye: Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Tranquillitatis, Mare Vaporum.
• Binoculars: adds Grimaldi Basin, Posidonius Crater, Mare Frigoris.
• Telescope: brings smaller and higher-contrast features into view, such as Reiner Gamma, the rille Rima Ariadaeus, and the cliff Rupes Altai (Altai Scarp).

Tip: view the Moon when it’s higher in the sky for steadier seeing. The exact visibility of specific features depends on your location, local sky conditions, and the quality of your optics.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon is expected on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon orbits Earth roughly every 29.5 days, moving through a sequence of phases as the angles between the Sun, Earth and Moon change. From our viewpoint the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit or dark even though the same lunar face always faces us. These changes are due to how sunlight reflects off the Moon’s surface and form the regular pattern known as the lunar cycle.

The eight main moon phases are:

• New Moon — The Moon sits between Earth and the Sun, so the side we see is dark and essentially invisible.
• Waxing Crescent — A thin crescent of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
• First Quarter — The right half of the Moon is lit, a classic half-moon view.
• Waxing Gibbous — More than half illuminated but not yet full.
• Full Moon — The entire visible face of the Moon is brightly illuminated.
• Waning Gibbous — Light begins to recede from the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
• Third (Last) Quarter — The left half of the Moon is lit.
• Waning Crescent — A slim crescent remains on the left before darkness returns.

Note: descriptions of "right" and "left" refer to the Moon's appearance to observers in the Northern Hemisphere; views differ slightly in the Southern Hemisphere.