The Moon sits in its waning phase as the illuminated portion visible from Earth steadily shrinks. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker cited by Mashable, the lunar body resides in the Waning Crescent stage with 25 percent of its surface currently lit.
What the Waning Crescent Looks Like Tonight
Naked-eye observers scanning the night sky without visual aids can spot the Aristarchus Plateau, though that remains the extent of unassisted viewing. Observers utilizing binoculars or a telescope gain enough magnification to resolve both the Aristarchus Plateau and the Kepler Crater. As the Moon moves deeper into this Waning Crescent stage, only a thin sliver of light stays visible on the left side before the lunar body eventually goes completely dark for the New Moon phase.
Orbital Geometry Creates Eight Distinct Lunar Stages
The complete lunar cycle takes approximately 29.5 days to pass through all eight distinct stages. As the Moon travels around Earth, the changing angle of sunlight hitting its surface alters what viewers see from the ground. This orbital geometry produces the full progression starting from the New Moon, moving through the Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and finally finishing at the Waning Crescent.
The Path to the Next Full Moon
Following the current Waning Crescent phase, the lunar cycle resets as the Moon moves between Earth and the sun to form an invisible New Moon. The next Full Moon is scheduled to take place on November 24, when the entire face of the Moon will once again be fully illuminated and visible from Earth.
