文章介绍了当前月相的详细信息，指出在8月8日（周四），月相为“盈凸月”，月亮将有99%的可见光照。文章还列出了肉眼、双筒望远镜和望远镜分别可观测到的月面特征，并预告下一次满月将在8月9日出现。同时，文章科普了月相的形成原因，即月球绕地球公转导致太阳光照射角度变化，从而呈现出新月、娥眉月、上弦月、盈凸月、满月、亏凸月、下弦月、残月这八种不同的月相。

🌕 今晚月相为盈凸月，月亮将有99%的可见光照，非常接近满月状态，是观赏月亮的好时机。

🔭 文章详细介绍了不同观测设备下可看到的月面细节，包括肉眼可见的静海、开普勒环形山等，双筒望远镜可看到风暴洋等，而望远镜则能观测到笛卡尔高地等。

📅 文章明确指出，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，帮助读者了解月球的周期性变化。

💡 月相的形成是由于月球绕地球公转，在29.5天的周期内，太阳、月球、地球三者相对位置不断变化，导致我们从地球上看到月球被太阳照亮的部分不同，从而形成新月、满月等不同形态。

🔄 文章详细列举了月球的八种主要月相：新月、蛾眉月、上弦月、盈凸月、满月、亏凸月、下弦月、残月，并简要描述了各个月相的特征，为读者提供了系统的月相知识。

We're a day away from the full moon, so let's see what's happening in the current lunar cycle.

This 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. 

So, what's happening with the moon tonight, Aug. 8?

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Aug. 8, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, the moon will be 99% lit up tonight, we're so close!

So, what can you spot when you look up tonight? With no visual aids, you'll be able to see lots on the moon's surface, namely the Mare Imbrium, the Kepler Crater, and the Mare Vaporum.

With binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Mare Humorum, the Endymion Crater, and the Posidonius Crater. Add a telescope to see the Descartes Highlands, the Schiller Crater, and the Rupes Altai.

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.