Moon phase today: What to expect on November 9, 2026

Moon phase essentials: what can you see tonight?

• Moon visibility: The Moon is approaching the New Moon, so less than a sliver is illuminated.
• Current phase: NASA’s Daily Moon Guide reports a New Moon with 0% of the Moon’s surface visible on Monday, Nov. 9.
• Next Full Moon: The next Full Moon will occur on November 24.
• Lunar cycle: The Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete its cycle through eight phases.

This guide explains tonight’s Moon phase, the date of the next Full Moon and how the eight Moon phases shape what is visible from Earth.

What is today’s Moon phase?

On Monday, Nov. 9, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker reports that the Moon is in the New Moon phase, with 0% of its surface visible.

The New Moon phase has 0% of the Moon’s surface visible from Earth.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on November 24.

The next Full Moon date given here is November 24.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes around 29.5 days to pass through a complete lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around Earth, the angle of sunlight on its surface changes what observers can see, creating the phases from New Moon to Full Moon and back again, as explained by NASA.

A lunar cycle lasts around 29.5 days and includes eight phases.

The eight Moon phases are:

New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the Sun, so the side visible from Earth is dark and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side of the Moon in the Northern Hemisphere.

First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side, giving it the appearance of a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous – More than half of the Moon is illuminated, but it is not yet full.

Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side in the Northern Hemisphere.

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – The Moon appears half-lit again, but the left side is illuminated.

Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before the Moon goes dark again.

Why does the Moon’s appearance change?

The Moon’s appearance changes because its position around Earth alters the angle at which sunlight reaches the lunar surface. That changing view produces the phases observed from Earth.

The changing visible portion of the Moon results from sunlight illuminating different parts of its surface as it orbits Earth.

How long does a complete lunar cycle take?

A complete lunar cycle takes around 29.5 days and moves through all eight Moon phases.

The Moon completes one cycle of phases in around 29.5 days.

What is the difference between waxing and waning?

During the waxing phases, the illuminated portion grows; during the waning phases, the illuminated portion gets smaller.

Waxing describes increasing illumination, while waning describes decreasing illumination.