Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on December 11, 2025
It’s third quarter tonight, which basically means there’s only half of the moon exposed. The third quarter is also the second half moon of the lunar cycle, where the left side of the moon is illuminated (if you are in the northern hemisphere).
What is the moon phase today?
Since Thursday, December 11, the moon phase corresponds to the third quarter. That means 53% of the Moon is illuminated tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
If you don’t have a visual aid, there are still plenty of things to spot tonight, including craters Tycho and Kepler and Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars you will also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, the Clavius crater and the Alps mountains. With a telescope, the Caucasus Mountains, Apollo 15 and Rima Ariadaeus all come into view.
When will the next full moon be?
The next full moon will be on January 3.
What are moon phases?
NASA says that the Moon goes through a cycle of approximately 29.5 days and during this time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits the Earth. This is what makes it look full, half lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:
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).
Crushable speed of light
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.
Waning Gibbous – 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.
