Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on October 15, 2025
The moon is getting smaller and smaller this week as we head toward the New Moon. However, there is still a small crescent visible, so keep reading to see what you can spot tonight.
What is the moon phase today?
As of Wednesday, October 15, the phase of the moon is the waning crescent. Tonight, only 31% will be illuminated, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.
The waning crescent is the last phase before reaching the new moon, and each day until then visibility will decrease. There’s a little less to see without any visual aids tonight, but there’s still something. Look to the upper left to see Oceanus Procellarum and Kepler Crater. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, these will be at the bottom right. With a telescope you will also see the Reiner Gamma, a lunar whirlpool on the surface of the Moon, as well as the Schiller crater.
When will the next full moon be?
The next full moon will be on November 5.
What are moon phases?
The Moon goes through a repeating cycle approximately every 29.5 days as it orbits Earth. These changes occur because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly moving relative to each other. From our perspective on Earth, the Moon may appear full, partially lit, or completely dark, but we always see the same face. What changes every night is the amount of sunlight reflected from its surface.
The eight main phases of the moon are:
Crushable speed of light
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)
Third trimester (or Last 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.
