本文介绍了月球的八种独特可见相位，以及它们如何随着月球围绕地球的公转而变化。文章指出，当前（8月1日）正值农历初八，月相为“上弦月”，月球右半侧被照亮，大约有50%的可见部分。文章还详细列出了使用肉眼、双筒望远镜和望远镜可观测到的月面特征，包括月海和陨石坑，并预告了下一次满月将在8月9日出现。最后，文章解释了月相形成的原因，即太阳、月球和地球之间角度的变化，并概述了从新月到残月的八个主要月相。

🌕 月相的形成与周期：月相是月球围绕地球公转时，太阳光照射角度变化导致月球可见部分发生改变的结果，整个周期约为29.5天，包含新月、峨眉月、上弦月、盈凸月、满月、亏凸月、下弦月、残月八个主要阶段。

🌟 今夜月相与观测：8月1日是农历初八，月相为上弦月，月球右半侧被照亮。肉眼可见月海（如静海、危海、丰饶海），使用双筒望远镜可看到恩底弥翁环形山、宁静海和波西多尼俄斯环形山，使用望远镜则能观测到林内环形山、阿波罗11号和阿波罗16号着陆点。

📅 月相观测时间线：文章预告了下一次满月将在8月9日出现，而上一次满月则发生在7月10日，为读者提供了重要的时间参考信息。

🔭 月球可见面：我们总是看到月球的同一面，但由于月球在轨道上的位置不同，被太阳照亮的部分也随之变化，这形成了我们看到的月相差异，包括满月、半月以及几乎不可见的月相。

It's a half moon tonight, with the whole of the right side on display for us. Keep reading to find out what this means, and where we are in the lunar cycle.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

See what's happening tonight, Aug. 1.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Aug. 1, the moon phase is First Quarter. This phase occurs when the moon is half lit up. NASA confirms this, according to the Daily Moon Observation, it is 50% lit up tonight.

It's day eight of the lunar cycle, and the first moon in August. What can we see tonight? With the unaided eye, enjoy a glimpse of the Mare Serenitatis, the Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Mare Crisium. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, look to the top right. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, you'll see these on the bottom left.

With binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Mare Nectaris, and the Posidonius Crater, a lava-filled impact crater that's visible from the fifth to the 19th day of the lunar cycle. Add a telescope to the mix, and you'll also see the Linne Crater, Apollo 11, and Apollo 16.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

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

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.