Tonight's Waxing Crescent Moon: A Skywatching Tour

Starting with the waxing crescent moon tonight (Sept. 16), skywatchers with binoculars or small telescopes can spot the moon's geographic features in vivid detail. Over the course of the month, the moon cycles through new moon, to first quarter, to full moon, to last quarter and back to new. At new moon, the moon is usually too close to be seen except when it passes in front of the sun, as happened in the eclipse this month on Sept. 13.