Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on August 6, 2026

It's a new lunar phase tonight, the Third Quarter, which means the Moon is now halfway between the Full Moon and New Moon phases. During this stage, exactly half of the Moon's surface appears illuminated from Earth, As of Thursday, Aug. 6, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in the Third Quarter phase, with 48% of its surface visible. Without any visual aids tonight, there's still a chance of seeing the Oceanus Procellarum, the Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have a pair of binoculars, these will help you see the Gassendi and Clavius Craters and the Mare Humorum. If you have access to a telescope, you'll also be able to see the Schiller Crater and the Fra Mauro Highlands. The next Full Moon will take place on August 28. The Moon's appearance changes throughout the month as it orbits Earth, completing one full lunar cycle approximately every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During that journey, the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible from our perspective. That's why we see the familiar sequence of phases, from a slim crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon,