Even though less than half of the moon is lit by the sun, there is much to notice on its surface tonight, even without binoculars or a telescope.

Continue reading to learn what you can observe when you gaze upwards tonight, Sept. 27.

What is the current moon phase?

As of Saturday, Sept. 27, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent, with NASA’s Daily Moon Observation stating that 27% of its surface is illuminated tonight.

It’s the sixth day of the lunar cycle, so what can we spot? With just your eyes, look up to see the Mare Crisium. If you focus on the middle right portion of the moon, you will also notice the Mare Fecunditatis. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, these will be flipped: direct your gaze towards the bottom left.

Have binoculars nearby? Utilize them to observe Posidonius Crater, a crater filled with lava. With a telescope, you can also identify the Apollo 17 landing site, the last Moon landing of the Apollo program.

When is the upcoming full moon?

The next full moon is scheduled for Oct. 6. The previous full moon occurred on Sept. 7.

What are moon phases?

NASA clarifies that moon phases are part of a 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit. This alters the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases depict the moon’s appearance from Earth as it revolves around us; at times it appears full, at other times it seems to vanish entirely, yet we consistently see the same side of the moon. It is merely the extent of its illumination by the Sun that varies based on its orbital position.

This is how we experience full moons, half moons, and moons that seem entirely invisible. There are eight primary moon phases, which occur in a cyclical pattern:

New Moon – The moon is positioned between Earth and the sun, rendering the side we observe dark (essentially, it is invisible to the naked eye).

Waxing Crescent – A slender sliver of light emerges on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter – The right side of the moon is illuminated halfway. It appears as a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous – More than half is illuminated, but it hasn’t reached full status yet.

Full Moon – The entire face of the moon is lit up and completely observable.

Waning Gibbous – The moon begins to decrease light on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half-moon occurs, but now the left side is illuminated.

Waning Crescent – A narrow sliver of light remains on the left side before it goes dark once more.