What’s the Moon Phase Tonight?

Today’s Moon is a Waning Crescent phase and is best seen in the western sky before sunrise. This is a great time to look at the craters and mountains of the moon that cast long shadows on the surface.

The Moon cycles through these phases each 29.5 days. During this cycle, the amount of the lit half of the Moon we see decreases each night until it reaches the Full Moon.

Waxing Crescent

You may have noticed the slim smile of a waxing crescent moon in the west shortly after sunset. This phase of the moon cycle can be best viewed just before sunrise in the western sky, and is one of the few phases that is visible during the day in the eastern part of the United States.

It’s a wonderful time to reflect and rest. It is also a great time to cleanse, release, and purge anything that no longer serves you.

It’s a time to focus on the intentions that you uncovered during the new moon. It is also a time to put those intentions into action. Make time for activities that bring you joy and support your heartfelt desires, even if those steps seem small at this point.

Waxing Gibbous

A Waxing Gibbous Moon is part way between a first quarter and a full moon. It’s a time to think about all that you have accomplished and look for ways to finish what you started.

It’s also a time to open up and try new things, or adjust old plans. This is the time to reevaluate your goals and see if they’re still in alignment with your highest good.

When you have a waxing moon, it’s important to take the time to figure out what you want from life and get ready for whatever comes your way. You might need to make some sacrifices to get there, but the payoff will be worth it!

A waning moon phase is a time to look back at your accomplishments, and feel grateful for what you’ve done. It’s also a time to let go of everything that has passed, and begin to regenerate yourself before the next cycle begins.

Waning Crescent

The moon goes through a cycle of phases each month that changes how we see it. These phases are caused by the moon’s position in its orbit around Earth.

A new moon is the first phase, a first quarter is the next, a third quarter is the next and then we go through the full moon. The total lunar cycle takes 29.5 days for the moon to circle around Earth.

The first two, which are called crescent and gibbous, show a portion of the moon that is illuminated by the sun. Then the light decreases until it is completely dark. This is called waning.

Full Moon

During a full moon, our celestial satellite shines most brightly in the night sky. A full moon can also be called a supermoon, but that’s a tad misleading.

Each month, the moon orbits Earth at a slightly different angle. That angle is what determines whether the moon’s orbit lines up with Earth’s shadow. That’s how we get lunar eclipses about two to four times a year.

This January’s full moon is known as a Wolf Moon because wolves were often heard howling during this time of the year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s also considered a micromoon, meaning it will appear smaller than normal in our sky and is near its farthest point from Earth in orbit.