Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on October 12

It's the moon's last night in Waning Gibbous before we're at a half moon. There's less and less visible each night, but keep reading to see what you can see tonight, Oct. 12.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Oct. 12, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, only 64% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you look closely enough, without any visual aids, you can spot the Aristarchus Plateau, the Mare Imbrium, and the Mare Vaporum. Add binoculars to see the Grimaldi Basin, the Apennine Mountains, and the Alps Mountains. And if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 12 landing spot, Reiner Gamma, and Schiller Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us the Moon goes through eight phases as it makes its 29.5-day trip around Earth. The changes happen because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are always moving relative to each other. From here on Earth, the Moon can look full, partly lit, or even completely dark, but we always see the same side. What’s different each night is how much sunlight is hitting it.

The eight main moon 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)

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.