Tonight is a good time to look at the moon.
Full moons aren’t the only important sky events to watch for. Sometimes, the lunar phase is either waxing (growing) or waning (shrinking) its way to full.
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Where is the lunar phase tonight?
Here’s what you should know about the current lunar phase, and when to look up for the next full lunar cycle.
Tonight’s moon phase: October 5
According to Time and Date, the current lunar phase is Waning Gibbous.
The lunar phase this describes happens after the moon has been full. Once a full lunar event has happened, light will change and “goes from the full moon to half” according to TheNinePlanets.org.
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Tonight’s lunar phase means that it’s still on the way to dark, and will then grow to its fuller phase from there.
When is the next FULL MOON?
According to the website Time and Date, the next full lunar event is on Saturday, 28 October.
The Waning Gibbous means that the lunar phase is cycling from the previous full event, and making its way towards what’s called ‘dark moon’. After this period, the rest of the lunar cycle completes – and this is why we get to look up at the full lunar cycle.
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August 2023 brought us an impressive Supermoon, but that we’ll have to wait a while to see again.
Where to watch the skies
Looking up can be the best way to see the full lunar phase, but there are also other ways to watch views of the skies and stars.
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Google Sky gives you a full view of star maps and planets, including where they will be at a later date or where they appear tonight.
A full map of the whole solar system is also available at Project Metis.
READ MORE ARTICLES BY ALEX J COYNE