International Observe the Moon Night 2024

International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is September 14, 2024. It’s a worldwide event for moon-lovers, held annually since 2010. It’s scheduled each northern fall, on a night when the moon is near the first quarter phase. In September 2024, the first quarter moon is September 11. So you’ll see a waxing gibbous moon in the sky on Saturday evening.

Observing the moon with a telescope around quarter-moon phases is more fun, because more detail is visible on the line between lunar light and dark (day and night). That line is called the terminator. That’s the line of sunrises, and just as during an earthly sunrise, shadows are longest along the lunar terminator. So lunar features stand out most clearly then. Also, look beyond the terminator for an illuminated mountain peak or crater rim that appears as a speck of light on the dark moon.

Click here to download NASA’s 2024 observe the moon map.

Participating in International Observe the Moon Night

How can you participate? Will there be star parties with telescopes, or other events, in your area? Go to the InOMN website to find an event near you. There’s also information about how to host an InOMN event. And you can share pictures and highlights from your moon-watching fun on September 14.

Also, check out this Ten Ways to Observe the Moon.

Want to stay home and have fun observing the moon with your family? Try this article from NASA Night Sky Network: Weird ways to observe the moon

How to observe

The InOMN website states:

International Observe the Moon Night is a time to come together with your community to celebrate your connections to the moon. You may want to host an in-person public event, a small event at home, or a virtual event.

Your event can be a small gathering of friends or family, an online program for thousands of visitors, or anything in between. The size, location, and agenda are for you to determine, based on public health guidance in your area, your interests and expertise, the interests and needs of your audience, and the resources you have available.

Though we encourage everyone to participate in International Observe the Moon Night on a specific date each year, we understand that this date may not work for everyone. You are welcome to host your event on a different day. The main objectives are for you and your audience to observe and learn about the moon as well as celebrate your personal and cultural connections to our nearest celestial neighbor.

Click here to register your event for International Observe the Moon Night

Go to the event’s website to look for an InOMN event near you

Waxing gibbous moon photos from our EarthSky Community

Thank you to all who submit images to EarthSky Community Photos! View community photos here. We love you all. Submit your photos here.

Bottom line: A global, public event – International Observe the Moon Night – is September 14, 2024. You can look for events near you and to learn how to participate online.