If you look up at the night sky tonight, November 9th, 2025, you’ll see a moon that looks noticeably different from last week’s bright full moon. This is because the moon constantly changes shape throughout its journey around Earth – a cycle known as the lunar phase. Tonight, we find ourselves in the Waning Gibbous phase.
What does this mean? According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, about 78% of the moon’s surface is currently illuminated by the sun. This leaves us with a distinctly swollen crescent shape – still large and bright, but steadily decreasing in fullness as we move past the full moon peak.
Spotting Details with Your Eyes and Tools
Even without any special equipment, you can likely make out prominent lunar features like the Aristarchus Plateau (a flat, bright region), the Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Vaporum (large dark “seas”), which are actually ancient volcanic plains. Binoculars will unveil even more detail, revealing craters and basins like Grimaldi, Posidonius, and Mare Frigoris. For those with telescopes, tonight offers a treat: the Reiner Gamma (a unique bright streak), Rima Ariadaeus (a long linear canyon), and Rupes Altai (an impressive cliff) all become visible.
Waiting for the Next Full Moon
While tonight’s moon is captivating in its own right, it won’t be long before we see the next full moon. Mark your calendars for December 4th – that’s when the entire lunar surface will once again bathe in sunlight.
The Endless Dance of Lunar Phases
These shifting appearances are not merely aesthetic; they’re a direct result of the Sun, Earth, and Moon playing cosmic tag in a never-ending dance. The moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit our planet. As it travels, the angle at which sunlight hits its surface changes from our perspective on Earth. This creates the familiar cycle of lunar phases, ranging from the completely dark New Moon to the brilliantly lit Full Moon and back again.
These eight main phases are:
- New Moon: The moon hides between the sun and Earth, making it invisible to us.
- Waxing Crescent: A thin sliver of sunlight appears on the right side of the moon (in the Northern Hemisphere).
- First Quarter: Half the moon is illuminated, resembling a half-circle.
- Waxing Gibbous: More than half the moon glows, but it’s not yet full.
- Full Moon: The entire face of the moon gleams, fully bathed in sunlight.
- Waning Gibbous: The right side (Northern Hemisphere) starts dimming as light recedes.
- Third Quarter/Last Quarter: Half the moon is lit again, but this time it’s the left side.
- Waning Crescent: Only a thin sliver remains before the moon disappears into darkness once more.
These phases repeat in a predictable rhythm, offering celestial spectacle and a constant reminder of the intricate cosmic ballet unfolding above us.
