Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on October 18, 2025

There’s only a small crescent moon visible tonight, so there’s not much to see. This will be the case over the next few days as the New Moon approaches and passes.

What is the moon phase today?

Since Saturday October 18, the phase of the moon is the waning crescent. Tonight, only 8% will be illuminated, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.

There’s not much to see tonight, but if you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope, you can see the Grimaldi Basin, an impact basin 124 miles in diameter.

When will the next full moon be?

The next full moon will be on November 5.

What are moon phases?

The Moon follows a continuous cycle that lasts approximately 29.5 days as it travels around the Earth. These changes occur because the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly changing relative to each other. From Earth, we can see the Moon as full, partially lit, or completely dark, but it’s always the same side facing us. What varies each night is the amount of sunlight that reaches and reflects off its surface.

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.

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.