How To See ‘Lunar X’ on the Moon Tonight [Video]

Lunar enthusiasts can catch a glimpse of the “Lunar X” tonight, a striking criss-cross shape on the moon that can only be seen in the hours around its first quarter phase.

The unique, 50-mile-wide X shape is expected to appear on the moon tonight, March 6, from around 6:25 p.m. CST and will be visible for about four hours.

The phenomenon results from a combination of light and shadows that create the illusion of a letter X appearing on the rim of the moon’s Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach craters. The X mark is easily visible using binoculars or a small telescope, says NASA.

The space agency explains: “Near the Moon’s first quarter phase, an astronaut standing close to the craters’ position would see the slowly rising Sun very near the horizon.

“Temporarily, crater walls would be in sunlight while crater floors would still be in darkness.

“Seen from planet Earth, …