Peering up at the heavens and questioning the moon’s whereabouts? The lack of moonlight today is not a puzzle; it connects to our place in the lunar cycle. Intrigued? Continue reading.

The lunar cycle comprises eight stages of the moon’s visibility, dictated by the sunlight it receives. This whole cycle lasts approximately 29.5 days, as noted by NASA, with these stages happening as the Sun shines on various parts of the moon during its orbit around Earth.

Here’s what the moon is doing today, June 25, 2025.

What is the moon phase for today?

On Wednesday, June 25, the moon phase is New Moon. In this stage, the moon is entirely hidden from view, with 0% visibility (as per NASA’s Daily Moon Observation).

Today marks the start of the lunar cycle at day 0. In this phase, the illuminated portion of the moon faces the Sun instead of Earth. As per NASA, the Moon typically does not move directly between Earth and the Sun at this stage due to its slightly tilted orbit. From our viewpoint on Earth, it seems to pass close to the Sun.

As expected, there’s no possibility of observing anything on the moon’s surface tonight, even with the aid of a telescope.

When is the upcoming full moon?

June’s full moon occurred on June 11. The next full moon is set for July 10.

What are the moon phases?

We’ve arrived at day 0 of the 29.5-day lunar cycle. This cycle, according to NASA, is influenced by the angles between the sun, moon, and Earth. Moon phases describe how the moon looks from Earth as it orbits us. We consistently see the same side of the moon, but the amount illuminated by the Sun fluctuates based on its position in orbit. Thus, it may sometimes appear full, half, or completely absent. There are eight primary moon phases in a recurring cycle:

New Moon – The moon is positioned between Earth and the sun, rendering the side we can see dark (invisible to the naked eye).

Waxing Crescent – A small brightness emerges on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter – The moon appears half-lit on the right side, resembling a half-moon.

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

Full Moon – The entire surface of the moon is lit and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous – The moon begins to lose illumination on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – Another half-moon, but now the left side is illuminated.

Waning Crescent – A slim sliver of light lingers on the left side before it becomes dark once more.