Observe at Home

10 Ways to Observe the Moon at Home

Believe it or not, observing the Moon is something you can do no matter the weather, time of day, or location! We interpret “observe” very broadly. There are so many ways to celebrate and observe the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night. Here are ten of our favorites:

1. Look up

The simplest way to observe the Moon is 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 — from the remote and dark Atacama Desert in Chile to the brightly lit streets of Tokyo. 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. Visit the Daily Moon Guide for an interactive Moon observing experience.

2. Peer through a telescope or binoculars

With some magnification help, you will be able to identify details on the Moon. The line between night and day on the Moon (called the terminator) is ideal for seeing lunar craters and mountains since very long shadows heighten the contrast of the features. Check out our Viewing Tips for more.

3. Photograph the Moon

Our Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has taken more than 20 million images of the Moon, mapping it in stunning detail. You can see featured, captioned images, like the crater shown above, on the LRO Camera's website. And, of course, you can take your own photos from Earth. Check out our tips on photographing the Moon.

4. Relax on the couch

Is it cloudy? Luckily, you can observe the Moon from the comfort of your own home. Take and process your own lunar images with the MicroObservatory Robotic Telescopes.

Ever wonder why we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth, what the Moon is made of, how Moon phases work, or what we can learn from sending humans to the Moon? Find answers to your burning Moon questions here, and learn how NASA is advancing lunar science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

Would you prefer a movie night? In addition to the many films that feature our nearest neighbor, you can spend your evening with our lunar playlist on YouTube or this video gallery, catch up on the latest Artemis preparations and lunar science developments, or catch NASA Explorers: We Are The Artemis Generation on NASA+.

5. Touch the topography

Observe the Moon through touch! If you have access to a 3D printer, you can peruse NASA's library of 3D models and lunar landscapes and print one of your own. This collection of Apollo resources features 3D printed models of the Apollo landing sites using topographic data from LRO and the SELENE mission. On the Apollo 11 model, near the center, you can actually feel a tiny dot where astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the Lunar Descent Module.

6. Make and admire Moon art

Enjoy artwork of the Moon and create your own. Submit photos of your artwork (paintings, poetry, sketches, jewelry) to our Flickr gallery, or share on social media using #ObserveTheMoon. Try composing a lunar poem. Or do an art activity! For messy fun, lunar crater paintings demonstrate how the lunar surface changes due to frequent meteorite impacts.

7. Listen to the Moon

Treat your ears this International Observe the Moon Night. Several NASA podcasts feature lunar science, exploration, and history, including NASA's Curious Universe, Houston We Have a Podcast from the Johnson Space Center, and NASA Explorers: Apollo, which features personal stories from the Apollo era to now. If you'd rather rock out, make a playlist of Moon-themed songs. Or you can watch this video featuring “Clair de Lune,” by French composer Claude Debussy, over and over.

8. Take a virtual field trip

Plan a lunar hike with Moon Trek, 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.

You can also journey into the Astromaterials 3D virtual library of NASA's Apollo lunar collection and examine and slice rock samples with the Explorer tool.

9. See the Moon through the eyes of a spacecraft

Visible light is just one tool that we use to explore our universe. Our spacecraft contain many different types of instruments to analyze the Moon’s composition and environment. Review the Moon’s gravity field with data from the GRAIL spacecraft or decipher the maze of this slope map from the laser altimeter onboard LRO. View the "Moon As Art" gallery from LRO. Explore the LRO Camera Featured Image Gallery. You can learn more about NASA's Moon missions here.

10. Continue your observations throughout the year

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 our Daily Moon Guide, where you can plug in any date of the year to see the Moon's phase. Observe the Moon all year long with these tools and techniques!

However you choose to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night, we want to hear about it! Register your participation and share your experiences on social media using #ObserveTheMoon. Happy observing!