An enormous 'X' and 'V' will grace the moon's surface tonight. Here's how to see them

今晚，一个巨大的“X”和“V”将点缀月球表面。以下是如何查看它们

The night of the first quarter moon phase on July 2 presents a good opportunity to spot a colossal 'X' and 'V' emblazoned on the lunar surface.

7月2日上弦月相之夜是一个很好的机会去发现月球表面巨大的“X”和“V”。

This month's first quarter phase occurs at 11:41 p.m. EDT on July 2 (0341 GMT on July 3), at which time the right side of the half-lit lunar disk will be illuminated by direct sunlight from the perspective of viewers in the northern hemisphere on Earth.

本月的第一季度相位发生在美国东部时间7月2日晚上11点41分（格林威治时间7月3日0341分），此时，从地球北半球观看者的视角来看，半亮的月盘右侧将被阳光直射照亮。

At this time, the sun shines at such an angle to make it appear as if there is a gigantic 'V' and 'X' marking the barren lunar surface. This kind of phenomenon is referred to as a 'clair-obscur' effect and occurs when the interplay between light and shadow leads to the chance formation of familiar shapes on the moon's craggy terrain.

此时，太阳以这样一个角度照射，使它看起来好像有一个巨大的‘V’和‘X’标志着贫瘠的月球表面。这种现象被称为“明暗”效应，当光和影之间的相互作用导致在月球崎岖的地形上偶然形成熟悉的形状时就会发生。

The lunar letters are visible for roughly four hours in the run-up to each first quarter moon phase and are at their most impressive when seen just on the 'night' side of the terminator, with their upper reaches kissed by the sun's light. Try and find the lunar 'X' and 'V' on the lunar disk at sunset on July 2 and be sure to keep checking back to see how these shapes evolve over time.

在每个第一季度的月相之前，大约四个小时都可以看到月球字母，并且在终结者的 “夜晚” 一侧看到它们时，它们的上游被太阳的光亲吻，这是最令人印象深刻的。尝试在7月2日日落时在月球盘上找到月球的 “x” 和 “v”，并确保继续检查以查看这些形状如何随时间演变。

If you miss the letters on the night side of the terminator, there's no need to lose hope, as they'll continue to be visible for a brief period after they pass to the 'day side' of the moon.

如果你错过了《终结者》夜侧的字母，没有必要失去希望，因为它们在传到月球的 “日侧” 后会在短时间内继续可见。

The lunar X is an optical effect formed when sunlight strikes elevated rim sections of the Bianchini, Purbach and La Caille Craters around the first quarter moon phase, according to stargazing website EarthSky.org. The feature can be found around 25 degrees south of the lunar equator close to the terminator, which is the line separating the dayside and nightside of the moon, close to the prominent Werner and Aliacensis Craters.

根据观星网站的e EarthSky.org，月球X是一种光学效应，当阳光照射到第一季度月相附近的Bianchini，Purbach和La Caille陨石坑的高架边缘时形成。该特征可以在月球赤道以南25度附近找到，靠近终结者，终结者是将月球的白天和夜晚分开的线，靠近著名的Werner和Aliacensis陨石坑。

To find the lunar 'V', moongazers must follow the line of the terminator up to a point less than 10 degrees above the lunar equator to find the partially shadowed form of the Ukert Crater. Both objects can be spotted through a small backyard telescope with a 6-inch aperture, though a larger scope will help resolve detail in the myriad craters and broken terrain dotting the surrounding moonscapes.

为了找到月球 “v”，moongazers必须沿着终结者的线直到月球赤道上方不到10度的点，才能找到Ukert陨石坑的部分阴影形式。这两个物体都可以通过一个6英寸孔径的小型后院望远镜被发现，尽管更大的范围将有助于解决无数陨石坑和周围月景的破碎地形中的细节。

Stargazers interested in exploring the lunar surface should check out our guides to the best telescopes and binoculars available in 2025. Photographers interested in capturing the moon's surface should also read our roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.

有兴趣探索月球表面的观星者应该查看我们的指南，了解2025年可用的最佳望远镜和双筒望远镜。对捕捉月球表面感兴趣的摄影师也应该阅读我们对最佳天文摄影相机和镜头的综述。

This article was updated at 3:10 a.m. EDT (0810 GMT) on July 2 to change ‘June 2’ to the correct date of ‘July 2’ for the lunar event.

本文更新于上午3:10美国东部时间 (格林尼治标准时间0810) 7月2日将 “6月2日” 更改为月球事件的正确日期 “7月2日”。

Editor's Note: If you capture a picture of the letters on the moon and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

编者注: 如果您捕获了月球上字母的图片，并希望与h Space.com的读者分享，那么请将您的照片，评论以及您的姓名和位置发送给spacephotos@space.com。