Observe the Moon: October 2-3

This year PCPL is providing links to NASA resources for school-age to adult so that you can engage this yearly moon celebration remotely.

Moon Activities and Resources

1. Look up! The simplest way to observe the Moon is simply to look up. The Moon is the brightest object in our night sky, the second brightest in our daytime sky, and can be seen from all around the world. International Observe the Moon Night is always held near a first-quarter Moon, which means that the near side of the Moon is about half-illuminated. A first-quarter Moon is great for evening observing as it rises in the afternoon and is high above the horizon in the evening. With the naked eye, you can see dark gray seas of cooled lava called mare.

2. Review our viewing guide for more tips on lunar observing.

3. Listen to a fascinating talk by Emily Levesque, Professor of Astronomy at Washington University and author of The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers, which has received rave reviews. Fast forward about 4 minutes to begin Emily’s talk on the science and adventures of being a professional astronomer and on her work at the world’s cutting-edge observatories.

4. Plan a lunar hike with Moon Trek. Moon Trek is an interactive Moon map made using NASA data from our lunar spacecraft. Fly anywhere you’d like on the Moon, calculate the distance or the elevation of a mountain to plan your lunar hike, or layer attributes of the lunar surface and temperature. If you have a virtual reality headset, you can experience Moon Trek in 3D.

5. Start a Moon Journal. International Observe the Moon Night is the perfect time to start a Moon journal. See how the shape of the Moon seems to change over the course of a month, and keep track of where and what time it rises and sets.  To check your work, visit Dial-A-Moon, where you can plug in any date of the year to see the Moon phase. Observe the Moon all year long with these tools and techniques!

6. Watch the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Video Gallery. Learn about the Moon’s role in eclipses, look at the Moon’s phases from the far side, and see the latest science portrayed in super high resolution.

7. Listen to a lunar playlist.

We hope you enjoy this year’s remote Observe the Moon activities.