Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on August 21, 2025
Little by little, the moon becomes less visible. Which can only mean one thing: we get closer to the new moon. The new moon is part of the lunar cycle, which 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 illuminates different parts of the moon while it orbits around the earth.
So let’s see what’s going on with the moon tonight on August 21.
What is the moon phase today?
On Thursday, August 21, the moon phase is in decline, and only 3% will be lit on earth, according to the daily observation of NASA.
We are the 28th day of the lunar cycle, and there is really not much to see tonight. The only visible thing is the Grimaldi basin, and you will need binoculars or a telescope to see it. The Grimaldi basin is an impact basin with an external wall which is almost as long as the Grand Canyon, according to NASA.
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.
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:
Mashable lighting speed
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.
