Slowly but surely, the moon is becoming brighter as we hit day two of a new lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is a series of eight phases of the moon’s visibility, based on how much light the sun shines on it. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA.
Interested in the exact data? Here’s what the moon is doing today, June 27, 2025, and what percentage you’ll be able to see.
What is today’s moon phase?
As of Friday, June 27, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. The moon is still only slightly visible tonight with just 6% lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Observation. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll see the very far right side of the moon lit up, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, it’ll be the far left.
Today also marks day two of the lunar cycle. For another night, we won’t be able to spot anything on the surface of the moon, even with fancy equipment like a telescope.
When is the next full moon?
June’s full moon was on June 11. The next full moon will be on July 10.
What are moon phases?
Lunar phases are part of a 29.5-day lunar cycle, counting the number of days from the New Moon. This is a cycle, NASA tells us, caused by the angles between the sun, moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:
Mashable Light Speed
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.
Last Quarter (or Third 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.
