Are the phases different in the northern and southern hemispheres?
The phase of the moon would appear the same no matter where you are on the planet Earth. If an observer in Florida sees a full moon tonight, and observer in Wisconsin will also see a full moon tonight. However, if you traveled from one hemisphere to the other you might notice a difference. Here in the northern hemisphere, we say that when you see a phase that looks like a half-circle, and it’s Light on the Left side, it’s Last Quarter. The “L’s” make a nice mnemonic for keeping First Quarter and Last Quarter straight. So, when it’s light on the right it’s First Quarter. However, look at the illustration. An observer in the southern hemisphere (Argentina) would see the moon upside-down compared to the way we are accustomed to seeing it (USA). (See also question #15, #17, and our Crescent Moon Around the World page.
