International Observe the Moon Night was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, inviting people worldwide to observe Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor with telescopes and other activities [earthsky.org][carsonnow.org]. The annual event has been held since 2010 and is scheduled near the Moon’s first-quarter phase, when sunlight creates long shadows that make craters, ridges and mountain peaks easier to see [earthsky.org][carsonnow.org]. In September 2026, the Moon reached its first-quarter phase on Sept. 18, leaving a waxing gibbous Moon visible during the event the following evening [earthsky.org]. Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory scheduled a free viewing session at 6:30 p.m., led by observatory director Thomas Herring, who was also slated to discuss lunar history, statistics and NASA’s Artemis effort to return astronauts to the Moon [carsonnow.org]. Highlights: • Seasonal timing: International Observe the Moon Night is held each fall in the Northern Hemisphere [earthsky.org] • Reference appearance: An EarthSky community photo showed a waxing gibbous Moon at 65% luminance, close to how the Moon was expected to appear on Sept. 19 [earthsky.org] • Lunar distance: The Moon is nearly 240,000 miles from Earth [carsonnow.org] "When looking at the Moon, it’s actually pretty easy to make out detailed features such as craters and mountains [carsonnow.org]" — Thomas Herring Sources: • 5 amazing lunar sights to explore on International Observe the Moon Night tonight! - Space - google.com • International Observe the Moon Night 2026 is tonight - earthsky.org • Look to the Moon: WNC observatory to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night - carsonnow.org --- 📰 Story aggregated by Kagi News