International Observe the Moon Night

An annual celebration of lunar observation, science, and exploration.
Image credit: lunar observer Leonardo Hoet

👁 Composite of a photo of group of people outdoors for International Observe the Moon Night. In the foreground, a woman stand near a large telescope and holds her phone camera to the eyepiece as some kids stand an watch. An image of the Moon and also swirling lines are overlaid over the photo.

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About Earth's Moon

Tides, phases, and more — NASA's site for lunar science.

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Daily Moon Guide

NASA's interactive map for observing the Moon, every day of the year.

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Get Updates

International Observe the Moon Night updates and lunar science highlights, straight to your inbox.

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Get Connected

Join our worldwide community.

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ARTEMIS II

Make, Launch, Compete, and Learn

Four humans are going to fly around the Moon, observing the lunar surface and conducting science investigations along the way. Find your favorite way to be part of the Artemis II mission.

ARTEMIS II

Make, Launch, Compete, and Learn

👁 A dark podcast logo features the four crew members of NASA's Artemis II mission looking to the left of the frame. Above them, the podcast title "NASA's Curious Universe" is in white. A white NASA insignia is in the upper right corner. At the bottom of the image, the text reads "Artemis II"

EXPLORATION X Science

The Science of Artemis

The Moon is a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule, pristinely preserved by the cold vacuum of space.

The Artemis II mission will carry its crew farther from Earth and closer to the Moon than any human has been in over half a century. These astronauts will be both scientists and subjects as they fly around the far side of the Moon and back.

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EXPLORATION X Science

The Science of Artemis

👁 NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft atop launches the agency’s Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16 from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Moon rocket and spacecraft lifted off at 1:47 a.m. ET. The Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.

Save the Date: September 19, 2026

You're invited! Observe the Moon with NASA.

Each year, observers around the world come together to celebrate Earth's Moon through direct observations, hands-on activities, lunar-themed music, artwork, readings, and more.

Join in from wherever you are: Attend or host a virtual or in-person event, or observe the Moon from home.

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👁 Stylized illustration of silhouettes of people looking up at a graphic "Observe the Moon" in the night sky. The sky is faded with the title translated into different languages.

NASA/Vi Nguyen

Event Planning Guide

How to Host: The Basics

8 easy steps to make your International Observe the Moon Night event a success.

Whether you're planning a small gathering of friends and family, a virtual program, or a large, in-person public event, we've got you covered!

Event Planning Guide

How to Host: The Basics

👁 Collage of photos: phases of the Moon, girl looking a telescope, astronaut kneeling on the surface of the Moon, a Moon lander, presentation screen and audience, Event Planning Webinar graphic, printouts of the Moon map on a tabletop.

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👁 Two young students in tan uniforms with red scarves sit at tan desks with printed sheets on top and colored pencils. The sheets show the Earth in the center with blank circles around it representing the Moon. The student on the left is placing a creme cookie on one of the circles.

Rain or Shine Resources

Creative ways to observe the Moon, no matter the weather.

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Hands-On Activities

Suitable for a variety of age groups and adaptable for your event.

👁 Composite of a camera pointing to a mountain landscape with the full Moon.

Lunar Photography How-To

Capture the moment like a pro! Check out our Moon photography tips for cell phones, professional cameras, and more.

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Featured Observers

Browse guest posts from International Observe the Moon Night event hosts around the world.

Featured Resources

👁 A page of the Moon journal. There are rows of empty circles to represent the days in the month.

Moon Observation Journal

Spend the next month getting to know the Moon.

Moon Phase and Libration, 2026

Hour-by-hour Moon phase data for all of 2026, visualized using data from NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter).

👁 Black and white image shows now-frozen grey lobes of flow that came from the lower right. Sunlight boulders moved by the flow appear as irregular white lumps.

Artemis II: Observe the Moon Like an Astronaut

In this activity, you’ll use real images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to spot craters, mountains, and other features on the lunar surface.

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Earth’s Moon

The Moon makes Earth more livable, sets the rhythm of ocean tides, and keeps a record of our solar system's…

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Artemis

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was sent to the Moon to make high-resolution maps of the composition of the lunar…

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Skywatching

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URL: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/observe-the-moon-night/