How to spot the 'Da Vinci glow,' a rare lunar phenomenon visible this week
This week, a rare lunar phenomenon known as Earthshine, or the 'Da Vinci glow,' can be observed in the night sky. Earthshine occurs when sunlight reflects off the Earth and illuminates the dark portion of the crescent moon. The best time to see this phenomenon is during the early morning hours around sunrise from May 19 to 21.
- ▪Earthshine makes the entire moon glow faintly, even when it is a thin crescent.
- ▪The phenomenon is best viewed shortly after sunset or before sunrise.
- ▪Spring is the optimal time to see Earthshine due to higher albedo from snow and ice.
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Home Outdoors How to spot the 'Da Vinci glow,' a rare lunar phenomenon visible this week How To By Kaycee Hill published 20 May 2026 Look for a ghostly, full-moon silhouette, commonly known as earthshine, cradled inside a bright crescent When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Look up at the moon on a clear night this week and you might see something strange: the entire moon glowing faintly even though it's a thin crescent. The dark portion isn't actually dark.
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