As of Thursday, Aug. 21, the moon phase is Waning Crescent, and only 3% will be lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Early Saturday morning, August 23, at 1:06 a.m. CDT, the moon will slip into its new moon phase. That happens about once every month, but this one comes

The ever-shifting phases of Earth's moon present a wealth of targets for amateur astronomers to explore, ranging from magnificent craters and lunar seas to strange visual phenomena created as sunlight plays across the ancient surface, forming familiar shapes where none should be.

On Monday night, Aug. 11, the moon will be in its waning gibbous phase at roughly 94% illuminated after this past weekend's full moon, according to NASA.

For a few days after the Black Moon, the sky will reveal a spectacular lunar sight at sunset on August 24 and August 25. The western horizon will display the thinnest silver crescent moon 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. Viewer will see the delicate silver arc, the moon's first reappearance after going dark the report stated.

When does the next full moon rise? Find out exactly when to see the full moons of 2025, including the full 'Corn Moon' lunar eclipse on Sept. 7.

On Aug. 23, the moon will reach its new moon phase, and this one is special. It's a seasonal black moon, a rare event that occurs about once every 23 months. The next one won't arrive until Aug. 20, 2028, according to timeanddate.com.