Moon Phase Today: New Moon arrives March 19, with the Moon essentially invisible tonight
moon phase today is New Moon as of Thursday, March 19, 2026, and skywatchers in North America should expect the Moon to be essentially invisible tonight. NASA’s Daily Moon Guide states that 0% of the Moon will be lit up tonight, leaving little to no visible lunar disk in the night sky. The shift matters for anyone tracking the lunar cycle closely, especially after a night when a thin crescent could still be spotted under clear skies.
Moon Phase Today: What you will (and will not) see on March 19
On March 19, the Moon is in the New Moon phase, meaning it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun. In this alignment, the side of the Moon facing Earth is not illuminated, so the Moon appears dark and effectively disappears from view for casual observers.
NASA’s Daily Moon Guide describes tonight’s illumination at 0%, a technical way of saying there is no sunlit portion visible from Earth. For people stepping outside expecting the familiar outline of the Moon, this is one of the nights when the sky can feel unusually “Moonless, ” even though the Moon is still there.
This follows the previous night’s conditions on Wednesday, March 18, when the phase was Waning Crescent and just 1% of the Moon was lit, still leaving only a very small sliver potentially visible if skies were clear.
Immediate reactions: NASA guidance on the lunar cycle and what this phase means
NASA, through its Daily Moon Guide, characterizes the New Moon as the point when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, placing the sunlit side away from Earth and leaving the near side dark. NASA also explains the broader rhythm behind what observers see over time: the Moon takes about 29. 5 days to orbit Earth and moves through eight distinct phases as sunlight hits different portions of the lunar surface from our vantage point.
NASA’s description emphasizes that Earth consistently sees the same side of the Moon, but the Sun’s changing angle of illumination creates the familiar sequence of shapes—full, half, sliver, and, at New Moon, effectively none.
Quick context: The eight phases NASA uses to track the changing Moon
NASA outlines eight total lunar phases across the roughly 29. 5-day orbit: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter (Last Quarter), and Waning Crescent. In practical terms, this cycle explains why the Moon can look dramatically different from one night to the next—and why nights like tonight can leave the Moon almost impossible to pick out.
In the Northern Hemisphere descriptions provided by NASA, Waxing Crescent appears as a small sliver lit on the right side, while Waning Crescent leaves a thin sliver on the left side before the Moon goes dark again.
What’s next: Full Moon timing and the next milestone for observers
For North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1. That marks the point when the whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible—essentially the opposite of tonight’s sky.
Between now and then, the visible portion will begin building again after New Moon as the cycle continues into waxing phases. For those tracking moon phase today closely, March 19 serves as the clear reset point in the monthly sequence—one of the most definitive nights in the lunar calendar, even if the Moon itself is hard to see.
