A trick of light will cause huge letters “X” and “V” to appear on the lunar surface tonight, just hours before the moon reaches its first quarter phase, which will see its right half illuminated by direct sunlight and its left half veiled in darkness.
the moonThe position relative to the Sun changes constantly throughout its 27-day orbit. Landhighlighting countless craters, mountain ranges and a myriad of other geographic features as the line separating night from day known as the “terminator” runs across its surface.
Both the lunar “X” and “V” will be most visible around 7 pm EDT (23:00 GMT), as dusk gives way to the night of October 28, when the moon will shine just over 20 degrees above the southern horizon. Remember, the width of your clenched fist at arm’s length represents approximately 10 degrees in the night sky.
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The lunar “X” can be found approximately 25 degrees south of the lunar equator and appears when sunlight kisses the broken walls of the Bianchini, Purbach and La Caille craters. The lunar “V”, for its part, is located 10 degrees above the equator, to the left of Mare Tranquillitatis (in Latin Sea of Tranquility).
A telescope with an aperture of 6 inches or larger will provide a clear view of the lunar “X’s” and “V’s,” along with the wide expanses of the dark lunar seas and the prominent impact craters that stand out along the shaded line of the terminator.
Stargazers looking to take a closer look at Earth’s natural satellite should check out our selection of best telescopes and binoculars available in 2025while astrophotographers may want to review how to photograph the moon using our handy expert guide.
Editor’s note: If you would like to take a photo of the lunar “X” and “V” and would like to share it with Space.com readers, please send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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