It may be difficult to spot the Moon right now, but that won’t last long. As the new lunar cycle begins, a little more will become visible each night. What is the moon phase today? As of Sunday, September 13, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us that the Moon is in the Crescent Moon phase, with 5% of its surface visible. When is the next Full Moon? The next Full Moon will take place on September 26. What are the phases of the Moon? As the Moon orbits the Earth, its appearance changes over the course of about 29.5 days, creating what we know as the lunar cycle, according to NASA. The phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to the Earth and the Sun, and how much of its sunlit side is facing us. Over the course of the cycle, it goes from a thin crescent to a crescent and finally to a full moon, before the pattern begins again. The eight phases are: New Moon: The Moon is between the Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it is invisible to the eye). Crescent Crescent of Light Speed Mashable: A small strip of light appears on the right side (northern hemisphere). First quarter: Half of the moon is illuminated on the right side. It looks like a half moon. Growing gibbous: More than half is illuminated, but not yet full. Full Moon: The entire face of the Moon is illuminated and completely visible. Waning gibbous: The Moon begins to lose light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere) Third quarter (or last quarter): Another crescent, but now the left side is illuminated. Waning crescent: A thin band of light remains on the left side before it darkens again.
