This Saturday, join millions worldwide as they turn their faces toward the night sky in celebration of the moon.
International Observe the Moon Night is a NASA-led event held every September or October when the celestial body is in its first quarter, a phase halfway between a new moon and a full moon. This year, the moon will reach its first quarter on Wednesday, Sept. 11 before becoming a full moon on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The annual celebration began in 2010 as a way to raise public engagement and awareness around NASA’s lunar research and exploration efforts.
“One of the primary goals of the night is just to get people exposed to what’s happening at the moon,” Noah Petro, a lunar scientist at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, told Space.com in 2010. “We want to get people talking about current U.S. and international missions, why the moon is important and what we do and don’t know about the moon.”
Hundreds of public and private sites are participating around the world. In North Texas, public events will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Planetarium and Mesquite ISD’s Richard R. Russell Planetarium. The Indian Trail Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program is also hosting an event in Midlothian.
The first quarter moon will be visible in the sky between when it rises at noon and sets around midnight, according to NASA. It will be at its highest point in the sky around sunset.
Those using a telescope or visiting a planetarium with one should be able to see the moon’s craggy surface in great detail. Since the moon is only a little over 50% illuminated, the shadows near its terminator line — a moving line that divides night and day on the moon — enhance the view of the craters and other landforms dotting its surface. NASA has a moon map for anyone interested in identifying these areas on International Observe the Moon Night.
Event details
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON PLANETARIUM
FREE Visitors will be able to examine the moon, talk to planetarium staff and local astronomy enthusiasts and take pictures through a 16-inch scientific-grade telescope.
Sept. 14 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the UTA Observatory in Arlington.
RICHARD R. RUSSELL PLANETARIUM
FREE Open to the Mesquite community, this event will feature a variety of science-themed activities such as full-dome movies and presentations.
Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 2501 Memorial Blvd., Mesquite.
TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, INDIAN TRAIL CHAPTER
FREE This family friendly-event pairs lunar science with a guided nighttime nature walk. There will be snacks, craft activities such as building a model rocket ship and a telescope for moon viewing.
Sept. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Mockingbird Nature Park in Midlothian.
Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.