Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on September 19, 2026

The Moon is now more than half illuminated as it continues towards the Full Moon.

With more of the lunar surface lit up each night, there's still plenty to spot, so keep reading to find out what you might be able to see.

What is today’s Moon phase? As of Saturday, Sept.

19, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 54% of its surface visible.

You should be able to spot Mare Vaporum, Mare Serenitatis, and Mare Fecunditatis with the naked eye.

If you have binoculars, they'll also help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Nectaris.

Finally, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next Full Moon? The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases? The Moon doesn't look the same from night to night.

As it travels around Earth, which takes about 29.5 days, we see different portions of its illuminated side.

This is what creates the lunar phases, with the Moon gradually progressing from a thin crescent to a half Moon and then a Full Moon before the cycle starts over.

According to NASA , the phase we see is determined by the Moon's position relative to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight 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).