Tonight’s Moon Shines Just Shy of Full Brilliance
Tonight’s moon is putting on quite a show, and it’s one of those evenings where simply stepping outside and looking up feels rewarding. We're only a day or two away from the full moon, so the sky is already glowing with that bright, almost-complete lunar shine. Even though it’s not officially full yet, the moon is illuminated enough that many people might look at it and assume it's already reached its peak.
As of tonight, the moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase. That means most of the lunar surface facing Earth is lit up—around 91 to 98 percent, depending on the source and your location. At this stage in the lunar cycle, the brightness grows by the day, and it becomes increasingly easy to pick out details on the surface. Even without a telescope, features like the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis stand out. The Copernicus Crater also becomes visible to the naked eye. With a pair of binoculars, even more structure comes into focus—craters such as Endymion, Alphonsus, and Posidonius start to look crisp. And if you happen to have access to a telescope, tonight is a great opportunity to try spotting sites linked to the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 landings, along with formations like Rima Hyginus.
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We’re now around day 12 of the lunar cycle, which explains why the moon looks so round and so bright. The actual full moon will arrive on December 4, marking the last of three consecutive supermoons. That means it will appear slightly larger and brighter than an average full moon, thanks to its closer-than-usual position in its orbit.
This is also a good moment to revisit what moon phases actually represent. NASA breaks the lunar cycle into eight stages—starting with the New Moon, when the moon is completely dark, and moving through crescents, quarters, the gibbous phases, and finally the Full Moon. Although we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight hitting that surface continually shifts as the moon orbits Earth. That simple play of shadow and light is what gives us all those familiar shapes in the sky.
So, if you head outside tonight, you’ll be looking at a moon that is nearly at its fullest—bright, rounded, and full of striking details for anyone who takes a moment to really observe it. Whether you're watching casually or studying its features more closely, tonight’s Waxing Gibbous moon offers a clear, glowing reminder of just how dynamic and beautiful our lunar neighbor can be.
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