Moon Phase Today: What the Moon Will Look Like on July 20

Tonight, July 20, marks International Moon Day – a quiet reminder of the day humans first set foot on our lunar neighbor back in 1969. It’s a good excuse to step outside, look up, and maybe even grab a pair of binoculars.

According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, the Moon is currently in a waxing crescent phase, showing about 38 % of its face lit up. That thin slice of silver on the right side (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere) is just beginning to grow, and it’s already bright enough to make out a few familiar landmarks.

If you have a modest pair of binoculars, you’ll likely catch the bright patches of Mare Crisium and Mare Fecunditatis. A little more magnification – say, a small telescope – will reveal the Endymion crater, the handsome Posidonius crater, and the relatively small but striking Mare Nectaris.

For the truly devoted observer, point your scope toward the historic Apollo 11 landing site near the western edge of Mare Tranquillitatis. You can also try to spot the Apollo 17 landing region a bit farther south. It feels fitting to honour the achievement that gave us this very fascination.

Looking ahead, the next full Moon will rise on July 29, just nine days from now. Until then, the Moon will keep waxing, passing through a gibbous stage before reaching its maximum glow.

In case you’re curious, the Moon’s monthly dance consists of eight recognizable phases. Starting with the invisible New Moon, it moves to the thin Waxing Crescent, then the First Quarter (a half‑Moon on the right), followed by the Waxing Gibbous. The Full Moon tops the cycle, after which the light wanes in reverse order: Waning Gibbous, Third (or Last) Quarter, and finally the Waning Crescent that shrinks back to darkness.

So tonight, whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or just someone who likes a good excuse to stay up late, take a moment to enjoy the crescent glow. It’s a tiny slice of the sky, but it carries a big story.