Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on August 16, 2025
The moon is half lit tonight, which means a lot. Namely, we are in a new lunar cycle.
The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the visibility of the moon. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases occur when the sun lights different parts of the moon while it orbits around the earth.
So what’s going on with the moon tonight on August 16?
What is the moon phase today?
According to the Daily Moon Moon, the moon phase is on Saturday August 16.
From this moment, the moon will be less and less visible, because we are now day 23 of the lunar cycle. But there is still a lot to spot on the surface of the moon, if you look strong enough. In your naked eye, see the Aristarchus tray, Tycho crater and Copernicus crater.
With binoculars, see even more, including Archimedes’ crater, Alphonsus crater and Clavius crater. If you have a telescope, look for the Apollo 12, Reiner Gamma and the Schiller crater too.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will take place on September 7. The last full moon took place on August 9.
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What are the phases of the moon?
According to NASA, the phases of the moon are caused by the 29.5 -day cycle of the Moon orbit, which changes the corners between the sun, the moon and the earth. The moon phases are the appearance of the moon of the earth as it goes out. We always see the same side of the moon, but the quantity on the part of the changes in the sun according to the place where it is on its orbit. This is how we get complete moons, half moons and moons that seem completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repetitive cycle:
New moon – The moon is between the earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it is invisible to the eye).
Croissant – A small ribbon of light appears on the right side (northern hemisphere).
First trimester – Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like half a moon.
Wax gibbous – More than half is lit, but it is not yet full.
Full moon – The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Declining Gibbous – The moon begins to lose light on the right side.
Last quarter (or third trimester) – Another half -moon, but now the left side is on.
Decreasing crescent – A thin ribbon of light remains on the left side before returning dark.
