The Moon is now losing more of its light, with the next major milestone in its cycle being the Third Quarter phase. Here’s what you can spot on its surface tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Monday, Aug. 3, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 79% of its surface visible.
With just your naked eye, tonight you can spot the Copernicus Crater and the Tycho Crater. If you have a pair of binoculars, these will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Finally, if you have a telecope, this will help you see the Apollo 11, 14 and 15 landing spots.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon’s sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.
The eight phases are:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Source: https://mashable.com/science/moon-phase-today-aug-3-2026
