The new moon is gone. Now we wait. Visibility is creeping back, night by slow night.
What to expect tonight
It’s a Waxing Crescent phase right now. Tuesday June 16 brings very little light. Just 7 percent of the disk will show up according to NASA.
Is it worth looking up? Maybe.
The bigger picture
The moon orbits Earth every 29.5 or so days. Eight phases happen in that trip. Same face toward us always, sure. But the sunlight hits differently as it moves. Shapes change. Crescent. Half. Full. It’s the lunar cycle.
The next time it’s fully round is June 29. Mark it. Or don’t.
The phases
Here is how they break down, specifically for folks in the Northern Hemisphere since the view flips depending on where you stand.
New Moon – Invisible. Between Earth and the Sun, dark side facing us.
Waxing Crescent – That thin sliver on the right.
First Quarter – Half lit on the right.
Waxing Gibbous – Mostly full. Getting there.
Full Moon – Entire face lit up.
Waning Gibbous – Starting to fade on the right.
Third Quarter – Half moon again, but the left side holds the light.
Waning Crescent – Fading into nothingness.
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Or whatever. The moon doesn’t care.
