We’re just a few days away from the Full Moon.
The Moon is nearly full, providing a great opportunity to observe various features on its surface.
As of March 29, the Moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase, with 85% of it illuminated. Tonight, you can spot features like the Serenitatis, Imbrium, and Vaporum Mares without visual aids. Using binoculars will reveal the Mare Frigoris, Archimedes Crater, and Clavius Crater. A telescope will give you a view of the Caucasus Mountains, the Apollo 12 landing site, and the Linne Crater.
The next Full Moon in North America is expected on April 1.
The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days, going through eight phases: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
Lois Mackenzie is a freelance reporter at Mashable, with bylines in several publications, covering topics from local news to product deals. She holds a Master’s in Digital Journalism from Strathclyde University and a Master’s in English Literature from the University of Aberdeen.