Moon Phase Today, August 6, 2025: What to Expect in Tonight’s Sky

The moon is putting on a dazzling display tonight as it edges closer to its full phase. On Wednesday, August 6, the moon enters the Waxing Gibbous phase, lighting up 91% of the night sky — just three days ahead of the next full moon.

According to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation, this is day 13 of the lunar cycle, a time when the moon appears nearly full but is still growing. If you’re a skywatcher or lunar enthusiast, now’s the perfect time to grab your binoculars or telescope.

🌔 What You’ll See Tonight

From the naked eye, you’ll be able to spot major lunar features like:

• Mare Crisium
• Mare Tranquillitatis
• Tycho Crater
• With binoculars, even more becomes visible:
• Mare Humorum
• Alps Mountains
• Clavius Crater

And if you're using a telescope, you can observe detailed terrain including:

• Caucasus Mountains
• Apollo 11 landing site
• Descartes Highlands

📅 When Is the Next Full Moon?

The next full moon will shine on August 9, 2025, while the previous one occurred on July 10. This lunar cycle continues its regular pace of 29.5 days, as the Moon orbits Earth and changes its appearance from our viewpoint.

🌗 Understanding Moon Phases

The moon goes through eight main phases, based on its position relative to the Earth and Sun:

1. New Moon – Invisible from Earth.
2. Waxing Crescent – A slim lighted edge appears.
3. First Quarter – Half the moon is visible.
4. Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit, but not full.
5. Full Moon – The moon is fully illuminated.
6. Waning Gibbous – The light starts to fade.
7. Last Quarter – Another half-moon, but opposite side lit.
8. Waning Crescent – A final sliver remains before darkness.

These changes occur as the Sun lights up different portions of the Moon’s surface while it orbits Earth.