On September 11, the Moon enters its New Moon phase, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide. During this phase, none of the lunar surface is illuminated from Earth’s perspective, rendering it invisible to observers. This occurs because the Moon sits directly between our planet and the Sun, with its illuminated hemisphere turned away from us.
The lunar cycle follows a consistent pattern that repeats approximately every 29.5 days. As the Moon orbits Earth, its appearance changes dramatically depending on its position relative to the Sun. This shifting relationship determines how much of the Moon’s lit surface becomes visible from our vantage point, creating the eight distinct phases observers recognize throughout the month.
Following the New Moon phase, the Moon will continue its orbital journey and reach its Full Moon phase on September 26. During a Full Moon, the entire face of the lunar body becomes illuminated and clearly visible in the night sky. Between these two phases, observers will notice the Moon gradually appearing as a thin crescent, then progressively filling out before eventually waning back toward darkness again.
Originally reported by Mashable →
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