Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on March 18, 2026

Believe it or not, it's not the New Moon yet. Despite looking completely gone from our skies, there is a very, very small sliver of Moon still lit up tonight. If it's clear skies wherever you are, you might just be able to spot the thin crescent. As of Wednesday, March 18, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, just 1% of the Moon will be lit up tonight. With so little of the Moon lit up, there's still nothing to see on its surface tonight. In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1. NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight different phases. We always see the same side, but the Sun lights up different portions as it moves, which is why it can look full, half, or just a thin sliver. These changing shapes are called the lunar phases, and there are eight in total: 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