本文介绍了月球的运行周期及其八种主要月相变化，解释了月相的成因是太阳、月球和地球之间角度的变化。文章指出，月球的整个周期约为29.5天，随着月球围绕地球公转，太阳照亮月球的不同部分，从而呈现出不同的月相。文章还提供了当前月相（盈凸月）的观测信息，包括肉眼、双筒望远镜和望远镜可观测到的月球表面特征，并预告了下次满月的时间。

🌕 月相的形成与周期：月相是由于月球围绕地球公转，导致太阳、月球和地球之间的角度不断变化，从而使得我们从地球上看到的月球被太阳照亮的部分发生改变。整个月球周期约为29.5天，包含新月、峨眉月、上弦月、盈凸月、满月、亏凸月、下弦月和残月八种主要月相。

🔭 当前月相与观测：截至8月3日，月相为盈凸月，月球约有69%被照亮。在这一天（月球周期的第10天），即使仅凭肉眼，也能清晰观测到如哥白尼环形山、静海和风暴洋等月面特征。使用双筒望远镜可观测到阿尔丰斯环形山、波塞冬尼俄斯环形山和冷海；使用望远镜则能看到阿尔拉达斯沟、笛卡尔高地以及阿波罗14号着陆的弗拉·毛罗高地。

📅 近期满月预告：文章提示，下一个满月将在8月9日出现，而上一个满月则发生在7月10日。这为天文爱好者提供了明确的观测目标和时间参考，方便规划观月活动。

🌌 月相的详细描述：文章详细阐述了八种月相的特征，例如新月时月球处于地球和太阳之间，我们看到的一面是黑暗的；上弦月和下弦月时，月球的一半被照亮；满月时，月球的整个正面都被太阳照亮。这些描述有助于读者更直观地理解月相的变化过程。

The moon is looking brighter every night, and we're inching closer to the next full moon. But let's take a look at where we are in the lunar cycle first.

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. 

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 3, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, the moon will be 69% lit up tonight.

It's day 10 of the lunar cycle, and there's a lot to see when we look up tonight. With just your naked eye (no visual aids required), you'll be able to spot the Copernicus Crater, the Mare Fecunditatis, and the Mare Crisium.

With binoculars, enjoy a glimpse of the Aphonsus Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. With a telescope, you can also see the Rima Arladaeus, the Descartes Highlands, and Fra Mauro Highlands, a hilly region of the moon where the Apollo 14 landed.

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.