Moon Glow

A stunning image of the waxing gibbous Moon was captured by the International Space Station on June 26, 2026. The space station was orbiting 264 miles above the Indian Ocean southeast of Madagascar at the time. The Moon appears to have a golden glow, standing out against the darkness of space, while the Earth's atmosphere glows blue below.

The waxing gibbous phase occurs before the full moon phase and is characterized by the Moon appearing brighter in the night sky to viewers on Earth. This phase is a result of the Moon's increasing illumination by the Sun as it approaches full moon.

The image, courtesy of NASA, showcases the beauty of the Earth-Moon system and highlights the unique perspective offered by the International Space Station. The top takeaways from this image are the Moon's golden glow, its brightness in the night sky, and the Earth's atmosphere glowing blue below. For more information, visit the NASA website.