Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on October 11, 2025
The moon is in its “waning” phase, each night becoming less and less visible. This will continue until the new moon and the start of a new lunar cycle.
Keep reading to see what’s happening with the moon tonight, October 11.
What is the moon phase today?
Since Friday October 11, the phase of the moon has been waning. Tonight, only 74% will be illuminated, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
What can you see tonight? Well, if you look closely enough, without any visual aids, you can spot Oceanus Procellarum, Mare Serenitatis and Mare Vaporum. Binoculars will increase your visibility, adding Grimaldi Basin, Posidonius Crater and Gassendi Crater to your range. And if you have a telescope, you’ll also see the Apollo 12 and 17 landing sites and Linne Crater.
When will the next full moon be?
The next full moon will be on November 5.
What are moon phases?
We talk a lot about moon phases, but what are they really? NASA tells us that when the Moon completes its 29.5-day orbit around Earth, it goes through a series of eight phases. These changes occur because the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon change over time. From Earth, we see the Moon fully bright, partially lit, or completely dark, but the same side always faces us. The differences in appearance come from the amount of sunlight that hits its surface at each point in its orbit.
The eight main phases of the moon are:
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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.
Decreasing Gibbous – The moon begins to lose light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Last quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half moon, but now the left side is lit.
Descending ascending – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before turning dark again.
