4.2 day old moon
18.8 percent lit
The Moon today (click here) is in a Waxing Crescent Phase. A Waxing Crescent is the first Phase after the New Moon and is a great time to see the features of the moon's surface. During this phase the Moon can be seen in the wester sky after the sun dips below the horizon at sunset. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and mostly dark except for the right edge of the moon which becomes brighter as the days get closer to the next phase which is a First Quarter with a 50% illumination.
And
An international movement (click here) working to preserve our dark night skies has released an interactive map of sites that everyone can visit. The International Dark-Sky Association's accredited "Dark Sky Places" provide visitors with the sparkling views of the night sky that our recent ancestors enjoyed as a matter of course. The parks are about more than just providing a place for astronomers and the public to look at the stars. They're also there to raise awareness of the problems that light pollution poses for the environment and even to human health.
And
November's annual meteor shower (click here) — the Leonids — often boast a spectacular showing. This year should be no different.
The shower peaks between midnight and dawn on Nov. 18, Rhiannon Blaauw, a scientist with NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, told weather.com in an email. But that's not your only chance to spot a meteor this month.
“You can see Leonids anytime between now and November 30th by going outside during a clear dark night ... sometime between 3 a.m.and dawn, letting your eyes adjust to the dark and taking in as much sky as possible (no telescopes/binoculars),” Blaauw said.
