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Today's Moon Phase
🌒 Waxing Crescent
Tuesday, August 18
Tonight's moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase.
The Eight Phases of the Moon
The moon cycles through eight phases roughly every 29.5 days: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent, before starting the cycle again.
'Waxing' means the illuminated portion is growing night by night, while 'waning' means it's shrinking. A Full Moon and New Moon mark the two extremes of the cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tonight's moon phase is Waxing Crescent.
A complete lunar cycle, from one New Moon to the next, takes approximately 29.5 days.
Waxing means the visible moon is growing larger each night, while waning means it's shrinking, moving toward the New Moon.