It is almost time.
The Blue Moon hits May 31. We are just a couple of nights away, and the surface looks incredible right now.
What is the Moon doing today?
Look up tonight, Friday, May 29.
It is in the Waxing Gibbous phase. Bright. Bold. Nearly complete. According to NASA’s daily guide, 91 percent of the visible face is lit. You don’t need gadgets for that much light.
Just step outside. Clear skies help, obviously, but you can see a lot with naked eyes alone. The Mare Imbrium is right there. So is the Aristarchus Plateau. Look for Kepler Crater, too.
Grab binoculars? Better yet.
You might spot the Posidonius Crater and the Archimedes Crater. Even Clavius makes an appearance if your glass is good enough. Telescopes are where things get fun. They reveal the Caucasus Mountains. The Descartes Highlands. The dark rim of the Schiller Crater.
Why does it change shape?
Orbit.
The Moon circles Earth every 29.5 days. Roughly. It goes through eight distinct phases in that loop. The same face always points at us—tidally locked—but the angle of the Sun changes as we move. Light hits differently. Shadow shifts.
That’s the lunar cycle.
“Although the same side of the Moon always face Earth, the portion illuminated by Sun changes as it moves.” – NASA
New Moon is dark. We see nothing because it sits between Earth and the Sun. Waxing Crescent brings a sliver of light on the right, here in the Northern Hemisphere. First Quarter shows a lit-up half. Then comes Waxing Gibbous —more than half, less than full. Just where we are now.
Full Moon happens next. Entire face lit. Visible everywhere.
Then it fades.
Waning Gibbous loses light on the right. Third Quarter lights the left half. Finally, a thin Waning Crescent lingers on the left before darkness swallows it all. Again.
Next Full Moon?
Two Full Moons in May. Unusual? Not anymore. Commonplace, really.
The next one drops on May 31.
What are you going to miss while looking at your phone?
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