Believe it or not, the moon's near side is its dark side, thanks to a collection of low-lying lunar plains, solidified remnants of ancient seas of molten magma.
The 1st quarter moon happens at the instant of east quadrature, when the moon is 90 degrees east of the sun. The September 27-28 1st quarter moon points to Saturn.
It'll be tough to catch the crescent moon and Jupiter from northerly latitudes. Much easier from southerly latitudes! Watch for these bright worlds, west after sunset.
It'll be the first time since 2008 that the moon occults - or covers over - 3 planets in less than a day. For good measure, the moon also occults a bright star, Regulus.
No matter where you live worldwide, an imaginary line from the moon through brilliant Venus - in the east before dawn - points in the general direction of Mercury and Mars.
Enjoy the moon and Gemini stars, Castor and Pollux, Friday and Saturday mornings. These 2 stars aren't really twins, but they're noticeably bright and close together on the sky's dome.
Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. You can still find many articles at EarthSky.org that were originally written by Bruce, and which the EarthSky editors still update regularly. Bruce is a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. Bruce he loves cycles of all kinds! You can still find many articles at EarthSky with Bruce's name on them, exploring the various, intricate cycles of the sky.