Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on February 16, 2025

The Moon is almost completely dark this evening, signaling that the New Moon phase is near. The last visible crescent of the Moon exposed is very faint, meaning it’s another night with no visible lunar features.

What is the phase of the Moon today?

Since Monday, February 16, the phase of the Moon is the waning crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight.

Once again, too little of the Moon’s surface is illuminated tonight to spot any lunar features. Once the New Moon passes, it will begin to reappear.

When will the next Full Moon take place?

The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon will take place on February 1st.

What are the phases of the Moon?

According to NASA, the Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to complete one orbit around the Earth. Throughout this period, it goes through eight different phases of visibility. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the illuminated part changes as it moves along its orbit. The amount of sunlight reflected from the surface changes the Moon’s appearance and explains why it sometimes appears full, partially lit, or almost dark. The eight phases are:

New Moon – The Moon sits between the Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the naked eye).

Waxed Crescent – ​​A small burst 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, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon – The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Gibbous Decline – The Moon begins to lose light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

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

Waning Crescent – ​​A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before turning dark again.