IT General

The moon never looks exactly the same from night to night. Its changing appearance is a result of its journey around Earth. This is called the lunar cycle.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

So, let's see what's happening with the moon tonight, Sept. 1.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Sept. 1, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous, and 62% will be lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

There's lots to see on the moon's surface tonight, so lets get into it. With no visual aids, you'll see the Tycho Crater, the Mare Crisium, and the Mare Tranquillitatis. With binoculars, you'll also get a glimpse of the Mare Nectaris, the Mare Frigoris, and the Apennine Mountains.

If you have a telescope too, you'll see so much more. Enjoy glimpses of the Apollo 11, Descartes Highlands, and the Rupes Recta, a 68-mile-long lunar fault line.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Sept. 7. The last full moon was on Aug. 9.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Hey, we all love a four-legged friend, but even the most ardent pet-lover can suffer from allergy-inducing pet dander — not to mention the unmistakable whiff of doggy odour. If that sounds (and smells) familiar, it’s time to get a pet-friendly air purifier.

An air purifier acts as a filter for your home. It removes irritants from the air, including germs and pollutants, which is great for preventing the spread of unwanted nasties and improving the general quality of your indoor living conditions.

But where to start? To the layman, one air purifier looks very much like the next, so which one is best for your home? Particularly a home with pets? That’s where we can help. Here's some useful information and a selection of the best models.

How do air purifiers work?

Air purifiers are designed to remove particles from the air — anything from bacteria and viruses to pet dander, smoke, and fur. So, if you suffer from allergies, an air purifier is must-have. It can help decrease allergy symptoms and make it generally easier to breathe. Air purifiers with HEPA filters can remove particles as small as 0.1 microns, much smaller than the usual dander that floats around your home.

Why are air purifiers good for pet owners?

By reducing pet dander and keeping the air clean, a purifier can not only reduce allergy symptoms such as sneezing and scratchy throats, it can also eliminate pet odours — particularly useful if you have multiple pets (we love 'em but can get a little pungent in numbers). Air purifiers are also good for tackling the kind of dust that comes off rabbit or guinea pig bedding. Overall, an air purifier will make your home a little fresher. Not every air purifier removes dander and fur, though, so be sure to check before buying.

Where should you position an air purifier?

The best place to keep air purifiers in your home is as close as possible to the source. If you have a dog or cat that spends a lot of time snoozing in their beds, place the air purifier close by so the dander and allergens are filtered out right at the source. The most important thing is to match the air purifier to the size of the room (or area if it’s open plan) so you know that the air purifier is covering the volume of space.

Do you need to replace air purifier filters?

Some machines have removable filters that you can vacuum. Other machines need regular replacement filters. While vacuuming or wiping them off with a cloth is a more eco-friendly option, replacement filters are the most effective for overall air quality.

What is the best air purifier for pet owners?

Everybody — and everybody's pet — is different. Which means it's not a case of one air purifier fits all. But we've done our best to lead you to the right model by showcasing a selection of the highest quality air purifiers available right now. Whether you’re a cat or dog person, there's something for everyone, not to mention every pet and budget.

These are the best air purifiers for pet owners in 2025.

If you missed the Aurora Borealis in May earlier this year, you're in luck: the Sun is about to provide another chance to see the Aurora.

From connecting with friends to managing our finances, a huge part of our lives takes place digitally. In an effort to claw back some of their privacy, many turn to VPNs. However, while VPNs can help, in most cases, free VPNs aren't a risk worth taking. Here's why.

OneDrive is integrated into every corner of Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it seems very likely that integration will only increase as Microsoft pushes more and more cloud features into Windows. If you want to get rid of OneDrive but don't want to give up the convenience of a cloud service app on your desktop, you have options.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Corn husk.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

SHUCK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A leg bone.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TIBIA

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To educate.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TEACH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To cling to.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

LATCH

Final Hurdle hint

Influence.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

CLOUT

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

When you think of double quotation marks, you probably remember your English lessons in school. However, in Microsoft Excel, they serve a different purpose altogether. In fact, they can help you improve your formulas, let you interact with AI, and make your spreadsheets tidier.

Movies have been around for well over a century now, and they've changed dramatically over the years to reflect the technology and culture of the times. However, the core of what the movie experience is meant to be has been more or less the same—until now.

TL;DR: Looking for massive cloud storage without monthly fees? Internxt is offering a 100TB lifetime cloud storage plan for $1,349.97 (reg. $9,900.00) — no subscriptions, no renewals, and no catches.

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Backing up your entire digital life — photos, videos, design files, work projects, archives — can get expensive fast. Most cloud services cap your storage or lock you into endless monthly fees. But Internxt is flipping that model on its head with a massive 100TB lifetime cloud storage deal.

For a limited time, you can get lifetime access to 100TB of Internxt cloud storage for $1,349.97 (reg. $9,900) — a that’s over 80% off the normal retail price. While the price may seem eye-watering at initial glance, keep this in mind: that’s less than the cost of a few years of subscriptions from other major providers, but once you pay the one-time fee, you’ll never pay for cloud storage again.

SEE ALSO: This app makes screen time healthy for kids — get lifetime access for under $50

Internxt’s platform gives you 100TB of end-to-end encrypted cloud storage that works across desktop, mobile, and web. It’s designed with privacy first commitment — all your files are encrypted in transit and at rest, and only you hold the encryption keys. Not even Internxt can access your data.

Features include:

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Internxt may not have the flashy interface of Google Drive or Dropbox, and upload speeds can vary depending on your internet and encryption load. But what it lacks in polish, it makes up for in privacy, security, and long-term value.

100TB is more than enough to future-proof your digital storage needs for decades — perfect for content creators, small businesses, photographers, filmmakers, or anyone building a growing archive of high-resolution files.

There’s a limited time left to act on this special cloud storage offer. Grab your Internxt 100TB lifetime cloud storage plan for $1,349.97 (reg. $9,900) while inventory still lasts.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

RSS might not be dead in the strict sense of the word. After all, we still have the How-To Geek RSS feed and people still use it. It's just that RSS has sharply declined to almost nothing, and it's simply not how people get their content pushed to them anymore.

Who says you need a luxury badge to enjoy a luxury drive? Some sedans manage to deliver the same plush interiors, sleek tech, and smooth rides—without the eye-watering price tag.

A touchpad on a laptop is traditionally something you avoid using unless you really have to, and if it's been a while since you've used one that's a totally fair appraisal.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL offers the best hardware and software combination on a Google flagship. Whether it's the bright AMOLED screen, the triple-rear camera setup, or system-wide Gemini integration, the phone excels in every aspect. However, is it better or worse than the $1299.99 Galaxy S25 Ultra? Let's find out.

A laptop isn't an impulse buy. Even the "cheap" ones represent a significant cost for most of us. Which means you'll probably want it to remain useful and functional for as long as possible.

When you’re shopping for a portable power station, there are a lot of confusing numbers to figure out—but the most important detail to consider isn’t a number at all! It's what your battery is made of.

There was a time that the only shape computers came in was a desktop or tower case. All computers were big, bulky, and plugged into the wall. Then, as components shrank and became less power-hungry, computers became portable, and later truly mobile.

As with other programming languages, Python has libraries to make coding tasks easier. Here's how you can take advantage of them, and how you can create your own libraries as well.

The whole point of USB or Universal Serial Bus technology is that you can plug any two USB things together, and as long as the plug fits, you're good to go—but are you really?

Phone number spoofing is a common scam where someone masks their phone number to make it appear that they're someone else when they call other numbers. These callers commonly try to pretend that they are calling from the local area code of their recipients to give themselves an appearance of trustworthiness.

Adding widgets to your iPhone's home screen is about more than just aesthetics. Many Apple and third-party apps offer stunning and functional widgets that can make your life easier and save time without requiring you to open the respective apps.