Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on October 22, 2025

It’s a new lunar phase tonight, and the first day of a new lunar cycle. There are still a few nights left before the moon is fully visible, but for now it is slowly coming back to us.

What is the moon phase today?

Since Wednesday October 22, the phase of the moon is the waxing crescent. This means that 1% of the Moon will be illuminated tonight, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation.

There is still too little of the moon visible this evening, so there is nothing to see on its surface.

When will the next full moon be?

The next full moon will be on November 5.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon’s phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the Moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon and Earth. The phases of the Moon correspond to the appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth as it surrounds us. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of illumination from the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main phases of the moon and they follow a repeating cycle.

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.