by On Friday (December 16), the moon will enter its final quarter phase for the last time in 2022 with the lunar disc exactly half illuminated.
As seen from New York, the last quarter moon of 2022 will rise seven degrees above the eastern horizon around 12:21 a.m. EST (0521 GMT), according to In the sky (opens in a new tab). It will peak in the sky, 55 degrees above the southern horizon around 6:00 a.m. EST (11:00 GMT) before disappearing in the light of dawn less than an hour later around 6:52 a.m. EST (11:52 GMT). ).
This won’t be the last time the moon appears half-lit by the sun in 2022. The lunar face will again be half-lit during the last first quarter moon of the year which occurs on December 30.
Related: Full moon calendar 2022: when to see the next full moon
These moon phases get their name not from how much of the moon is illuminated, but from the time they occur during the 29.5-day lunar cycle.
The first quarter moon falls on the quarter of this cycle exactly halfway between the completely dark new moon, the beginning of the lunar cycle and the fully illuminated full moon, which marks the half of the lunar cycle.
The last quarter moon, on the other hand, occurs when the lunar cycle is at three quarters, falling between the full moon and the next new moon, and thus the start of the next lunar cycle.
Between the full moon and the last quarter moon, the illuminated side of the moon has receded, or “diminished,” as astronomers describe it, and this will continue until the new moon. On top of that, the moon rises later and later each day and becomes visible less and less before sunrise. Its maximum height in the sky also gradually decreases each night.
In the last quarter, the moon rises in the middle of the night. Its maximum height occurs around dawn before setting around noon. This culminates at the time of the next new moon, which occurs on December 23, when the moon will rise with the sun and set at sunset, making it visible only during the day.
This situation is then reversed, leading to the next full moon, the January Wolf Full Moon, which occurs on January 6th. The moon will rise earlier and earlier each night, its illuminated face will grow, described as “crescent”.
At the time of first quarter, the times at which the moon rises and sets during the last quarter phase will have reversed. The first quarter moon rises around lunchtime and sets around midnight.
As it progresses towards the Wolf Moon, the moon will be visible for much of the night and by the time the first full moon of 2023 arrives on January 6, our celestial companion will be visible for most of the night. part of the night.
The moon is an ideal target to try your hand at lunar photography or observing the sky. Whether you’re new to skywatching or have been doing it for years, make sure you don’t miss our guides to the best binoculars and telescopes to see the last quarter moon of 2022 and other celestial sights. . To capture the best lunar images possible, we have a guide on how to photograph the moon as well as recommendations on the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you get a good photo of the last quarter moon and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, and name and location to [email protected]
Follow us on twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) Or on Facebook (opens in a new tab).
