Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on January 5

Tonight the Moon is continuing to wane, meaning less of its sunlit side is visible from Earth than the night before. The lit up side will keep decreasing over the coming days until the New Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Jan. 5, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 95% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in about 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

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.