This web page was up to date on Oct. 18, 2022.
Right this moment, Oct. 18, 2022, the moon is 23 days outdated and is within the Waning Crescent moon part of its lunar cycle. It’s 43% illuminated. In October 2022, the moon’s phases happen on today:
First Quarter: Oct. 2
Full Moon: Oct. 9
Final Quarter: Oct. 17
New Moon: Oct. 25
Moon phases reveal the passage of time within the night time sky. Some nights after we search for on the moon, it’s full and shiny; typically it’s only a sliver of silvery gentle. These modifications in look are the phases of the moon. Because the moon orbits Earth, it cycles by means of eight distinct phases.
The 4 main phases of the moon happen a couple of week aside, with the full moon its most dazzling stage. Take a look at wonderful pictures of the Harvest Moon of 2022 from observers all over the world final month on Sept. 10!
Tariq Malik
Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Area.com and joined the workforce in 2001. He covers skywatching, human spaceflight, exploration in addition to area science and leisure, and enjoys observing the moon by means of a tabletop Celestron telescope when the climate is obvious.
What is the moon part tonight?
Whereas the moon has 4 distinct phases every month, it’s at all times altering.
As you observe the moon throughout the month, watch because it grows from a brand new moon to a primary quarter moon. Because it grows, it is called a waxing moon, and step by step will increase from a waxing “crescent” (for its form into the primary quarter moon. Because it continues to brighten, it takes on an rectangular, or “gibbous,” form till it reaches the complete moon stage.
Then it is going to repeat the steps in reverse because it heads again to a brand new moon. You may see what right now’s moon part is right here with the embedded widget on this web page, courtesy of In-The-Sky.org (opens in new tab).
What’s the subsequent moon part?
After the final quarter moon on Oct. 17 at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT). The subsequent moon part milestone would be the New Moon on Oct. 25 at 6:49 a.m. EDT (1049 GMT).
The brand new moon is the so-called “invisible part of the moon,” in response to NASA (opens in new tab), as a result of the illuminated aspect of the moon is going through away from Earth, towards the solar. The moon can also be within the sky throughout the day, and with out its Earth-facing aspect illuminated by the solar, observers cannot actually see it.
Sometimes, the moon’s orbit does carry it straight between the Earth and the solar throughout a brand new moon, inflicting a photo voltaic eclipse or, much more amazingly, a complete photo voltaic eclipse. However as a result of the moon’s orbit is tilted with respect to the Earth, this alignment doesn’t happen each month.m Earth. What we’ll see is just half of the moon (1 / 4) that shall be illuminated on this part.
This month the brand new moon will trigger a partial photo voltaic eclipse on Oct. 25 that shall be seen from elements of Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa. The eclipse shall be livestreamed on-line for these unable to view it in individual, you will discover out the way to watch the final photo voltaic eclipse of 2022 in our webcast information.
Associated: Photo voltaic eclipses 2022: When, the place & the way to see them
Moon part calendar for 2022
Listed below are the moon phases for 2022, in response to NASA’s SKYCAL (opens in new tab). Occasions and dates are in UTC time. Should you want tools for viewing the moon, try our information to the greatest telescopes and the greatest telescopes for youths.
You too can try our information on the way to {photograph} the moon, in addition to the way to {photograph} a lunar eclipse for main moon occasions. There’s even a information on the way to {photograph} a photo voltaic eclipse.
Should you’re searching for imaging gear, our greatest cameras for astrophotography and greatest lenses for astrophotography guides may help put together you for the subsequent lunar sight.
New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Final Quarter |
---|---|---|---|
Jan 2, 1:33 p.m. | Jan. 9, 1:11 p.m. | Jan. 17, 6:48 p.m. | Jan. 25. 8:41 a.m. |
Feb. 1, 12:46 a.m. | Feb. 8, 8:50 a.m. | Feb. 16, 11:57 a.m. | Feb. 23, 5:32 p.m. |
March 2, 12:35 p.m. | March 10, 5:45 a.m. | March 18, 3:17 a.m. | March 25, 1:37 a.m.. |
April 1, 2:24 a.m. | April 9, 2:48 a.m. | April 16, 2:55 p.m. | April 23, 7:56 a.m. |
April 30 4:28 p.m. | Might 8, 8:21 p.m. | Might 16, 12:14 a.m. | Might 22, 2:43 p.m. |
Might 30, 7:30 a.m. | June 7, 10:48 a.m. | June 14, 7:52 a.m. | June 20, 11:11 p.m. |
June 28, 10:52 p.m. | July 6, 10:14 p.m. | July 13 2:37 p.m. | July 20,10:18 a.m. |
July 28, 1:55 p.m. | Aug. 5, 7:06 a.m. | Aug. 11, 9:36 p.m. | Aug. 19, 12:36 a.m. |
Aug. 27, 4:17 a.m. | Sept. 3, 2:08 p.m. | Sept. 10, 5:59 a.m. | Sept. 17, 5:52 p.m. |
Sept. 25, 5:54 p.m. | Oct. 2, 8:14 p.m. | Oct. 9,.4:55 p.m. | Oct. 17, 1:15 p.m. |
Oct. 25, 6:49 a.m. | Nov. 1, 1:37 a.m. | Nov. 8, 6:02 a.m. | Nov. 16, 8:27 a.m. |
Nov. 23, 5:57 p.m. | Nov. 30, 9:36 a.m. | Dec. 7, 11:08 p.m. | Dec. 16, 3:56 a.m. |
Dec. 23, 5:17 a.m. | Dec. 29, 8:20 p.m. |
Phases of the moon
(opens in new tab)
The moon, like Earth, is a sphere, and it’s at all times half-illuminated by the solar. Because the moon travels round Earth, we see roughly of the illuminated half. Moon phases describe how a lot of the moon’s disk is illuminated from our perspective.
New moon: The moon is between Earth and the solar, and the aspect of the moon going through towards us receives no direct daylight; it’s lit solely by dim daylight mirrored from Earth.
Waxing crescent: Because the moon strikes round Earth, the aspect we will see step by step turns into extra illuminated by direct daylight.
First quarter: The moon is 90 levels away from the solar within the sky and is half-illuminated from our standpoint. We name it “first quarter” as a result of the moon has traveled a couple of quarter of the way in which round Earth because the new moon.
Waxing gibbous: The world of illumination continues to extend. Greater than half of the moon’s face seems to be getting daylight.
Full moon: The moon is 180 levels away from the solar and is as shut as it may be to being totally illuminated by the solar from our perspective. The solar, Earth and the moon are aligned, however as a result of the moon’s orbit is just not precisely in the identical aircraft as Earth’s orbit across the solar, they hardly ever type an ideal line. Once they do, we have now a lunar eclipse as Earth’s shadow crosses the moon’s face.
Waning gibbous: Greater than half of the moon’s face seems to be getting daylight, however the quantity is reducing.
Final quarter: The moon has moved one other quarter of the way in which round Earth, to the third quarter place. The solar’s gentle is now shining on the opposite half of the seen face of the moon.
Waning crescent: Lower than half of the moon’s face seems to be getting daylight, and the quantity is reducing.
Lastly, the moon is again to its new moon beginning place. Now, the moon is between Earth and the solar. Normally, the moon passes above or under the solar from our vantage level, however sometimes it passes proper in entrance of the solar, and we get a photo voltaic eclipse.
Extra moon part assets
NASA’s SkyCal Occasions Calendar (opens in new tab) affords a complete calendar of moon phases, lunar and photo voltaic eclipses and extra for the whole calendar yr. You may see extra in regards to the full moons of 2022, in Area.com’s Full Moon Calendar. Our night time sky information has a listing of occasions for skywatching this month.
Bibliography
SkyCal – SkyEvents Calendar, NASA Goddard Spaceflight Heart
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html
What’s Up – Skywatching Suggestions from NASA
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/