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On Saturday (January 14), the moon’s face will be half-lit as it enters its third or last quarter phase.
According to In the sky (opens in a new tab) for observers in New York, the last quarter moon will rise at 10:20 p.m. EST (03:20 GMT) and become visible shortly after around 12:18 a.m. on Sunday, January 15 (05:18 GMT). The last quarter moon will remain visible until sunset and until approximately 11:28 a.m. EST (4:28 p.m. GMT).
The last quarter moon is the point in the 29.5-day lunar cycle that begins exactly halfway through the full moon and the start of the next lunar cycle and new moon. As the lunar phase proceeds from the last full moon, the January wolf moon which rose on Friday, January 6, until the next new moon, the illuminated lunar side recedes or “wanes”. “.
Related: Full moon calendar 2023: when to see the next full moon
Ranging from fully illuminated full moon to completely dark new moon, the midpoint, last quarter is where the waning moon is half illuminated.
The situation is reversed when the new moon, which next occurs on January 21, progresses to the next full moon, the snow moon which rises on February 5. The illuminated side of the moon grows or “waxes” with the crescent moon once again half-illuminated on January 28 during a phase of the lunar cycle called the first quarter. Which side of the moon observers see illuminated during the last and first quarter phases depends on where they are on Earth.
The fact that the moon is half illuminated during the two “quarter” phases may seem confusing, but what the nicknames actually refer to is the fact that the moon is at quarter and then at three quarters of its lunar cycle, respectively, during the first and last quarter phases.
The moon’s illumination isn’t the only thing that changes as the moon transitions from the full moon phase to the new moon phase, as it will also become visible at different times of the day. Leading from the full moon, the moon rises later and later each day. It also reaches progressively lower points on the eastern horizon.
At the time of the new moon, the moon will rise at dawn and set approximately at dusk, which means that it is only visible during the day.
Once again the situation is reversed leading from new moon to first quarter moon to full moon, with the moon rising earlier each following day and reaching a higher point on the horizon. At the time of the February snow moon, it will rise at dusk and set at dawn, which means it is visible for most of the night.
If you’re hoping to see the last quarter moon up close, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to start. If you’re looking to take photos of the night sky, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon, as well as our best cameras for astrophotography and our best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you take the last quarter moon and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, and name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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