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.

M11 is best viewed in the hours between sunset and midnight in August, when the cluster can be found roughly 40 degrees above the southern horizon. Remember, the width of your clenched fist held at arms length is the equivalent of 10 degrees in the night sky.

The August 2025 new moon is special, even if we can't see it. This is a black moon. Here's what that means and how it may impact your sign. The new moon occurs on Aug. 22 at 11:06 p.m. PT and Aug. 23 at 2:06 a.m. ET. It comes down to timing. A black moon is the fourth new moon in a season that has had three full moons.

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.

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.

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.