TAMPA, Fla — Over the next couple of nights, take a look up to see the waxing (growing in illumination) Moon as it will be near the bright planet Mars.
The Moon is now in its first quarter phase. This phase is halfway between new Moon and full Moon. A first quarter Moon appears at its highest in the sky at sunset. Even though it’s called a quarter Moon, it looks half-illuminated, like half a pizza.
The Moon has been visible during the afternoon Wednesday, because first quarter moons tend to rise around noon and setting around midnight. It’s a beautiful daytime sight surrounded with the blue sky. It will be even more beautiful dominating the evening sky next to Mars during the night.
Remember to look before midnight, before the Moon and Mars dip below the horizon in the west sky around 1 a.m.
The full Moon will occur on Jan. 28. It’s called the full 'Wolf Moon' from the packs of wolves that howled hungrily outside the villages amid the cold and deep snows of winter.
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