The Waxing Gibbous Moon

There are so many places along the Great South Bay in Bay Shore to watch the Moon and surrounding stars. I took a ride down to Brightwaters Beach Wednesday night to see the Waxing Gibbous in all her glory. This is a private beach for Brightwater's residents, but the gate was open so I drove in and took some shots. It was getting dark, and I was the only one there. Just me and the Constant Moon. 

The Waxing Gibbous phase is when the lit-up part of the Moon grows from 50.1% to 99.9%. It starts just after the First Quarter Moon and lasts until the Full Moon. Waxing means that the Moon is getting bigger, while gibbous refers to the oval-to-round shape. As the illuminated part of the Waxing Gibbous Moon grows to 98-99%, it can be challenging to differentiate it from a Full Moon. If you're up early Thursday morning, you can catch the Moon setting around 5:38am. The next Full Moon will be on Saturday, December 4th. What a blessing that leads us into the spirit of the holiday season.

So, why are we so enamored by the Moon? Poets write about it, and Van Morrison wrote an iconic song about it. Scientists and astrophysicists study it, and astronauts have walked on it. It is our beacon in the sky and our closest ally. We worship it, we celebrate it, and we wonder about it. Ah, Bella Luna!