Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on October 12, 2025

It is the last moonlit night in Waning Gibbous before it becomes half-moon. There is less and less visibility each night, but keep reading to see what you can see tonight, October 12.

What is the moon phase today?

Since Sunday October 12, the phase of the moon has been waning gibbous. Tonight, only 64% will be illuminated, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.

If you look closely enough, without any visual aids, you can see the Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Imbrium and Mare Vaporum. Add binoculars to see the Grimaldi Basin, the Apennine Mountains and the Alps Mountains. And if you have a telescope, you’ll also see the Apollo 12 landing spot, Reiner Gamma and Schiller Crater.

When will the next full moon be?

The next full moon will be on November 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon goes through eight phases during its 29.5-day journey around Earth. Changes occur because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are always moving relative to each other. From here on Earth, the Moon may appear full, partially lit, or even completely dark, but we always see the same side. What’s different every night is the amount of sunlight that hits it.

The eight main phases of the moon 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.

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.