本文介绍了月相的形成及其变化过程。当前（9月5日）月相为盈凸月，94%的月面被照亮，肉眼可见海洋和陨石坑。文章还详细解释了月相的八种主要类型，包括新月、娥眉月、上弦月、盈凸月、满月、亏凸月、下弦月和残月，并说明了月相是由于月球绕地球公转，导致太阳、月球和地球之间角度变化而产生的视觉现象。下一个满月将在9月7日出现。

🌕 **月相的成因与周期：** 月相是由月球绕地球公转的29.5天周期引起的，太阳光照射月球不同部分的角度变化，导致我们从地球上看到的月球亮度不同。这是一个持续的循环过程。

🌟 **当前月相与可见特征：** 9月5日，月相为盈凸月，月面有94%被照亮。此时，即使仅凭肉眼，也能清晰观测到月球表面的海洋区域（如风暴洋、静海）以及科普尼克斯环形山等。借助望远镜，可以看到更多细节。

📅 **满月时间节点：** 文章明确指出，下一个满月将出现在9月7日，而上一个满月则发生在8月9日，为读者提供了具体的满月时间参考。

🌙 **八种主要月相详解：** 文章详细列举并解释了新月（不可见）、娥眉月（右侧出现细窄光边）、上弦月（右侧半月）、盈凸月（超过半月但未满）、满月（全亮）、亏凸月（右侧开始变暗）、下弦月（左侧半月）和残月（左侧细窄光边），帮助读者全面理解月相变化。

The moon is looking nice and full tonight, but it's not quite the Full Moon yet, there's still a few more days in the lunar cycle before then.

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. 

So, let's see what's happening with the moon tonight, Sept. 5.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 5, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous, and 94% will be lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

The moon's surface is bright and visible for us at this stage, so there's a whole lot to see tonight. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to spot the Oceanus Procellarum, the Mare Serenitatis, and the Copernicus Crater. Add binoculars to see the Alphonsus and Posidonius Craters, and a telescope to see the Reiner Gamma, the Linne Crater, and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Sept. 7. The last full moon was on Aug. 9.

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.