Moon Phase Today: Waxing Gibbous on March 29 — What the Moon Will Look Like
moon phase today is Waxing Gibbous, with NASA’s Daily Moon Guide listing 85% illumination for the night of March 29, 2026 (ET). Skywatchers should look up on March 29, 2026 (ET) as the Moon moves toward a Full Moon predicted for April 1, 2026 (ET) in North America. This quick dispatch lists what is visible unaided, what appears in binoculars and what a telescope can reveal, all drawn from NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.
Moon Phase Today: What to See on March 29
For this waxing gibbous stage, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide lists the most visible features for this evening. Without visual aids you can spot the Serenitatis, Imbrium, and Vaporum Mares; with binoculars, add Mare Frigoris, Archimedes Crater and the Clavius Crater; with a telescope, expect views of the Caucasus Mountains, the Apollo 12 landing spot and the Linne Crater. The guide is explicit that the Moon will be about 85% lit on March 29, 2026 (ET), so contrast along the terminator will highlight these features.
Why the Moon Looks Different: The Eight Phases
NASA explains that the Moon completes one orbit around Earth in roughly 29. 5 days, producing eight named phases that change how much of the lunar face is lit. The list of phases and brief descriptions provided by NASA’s Daily Moon Guide in this context are: New Moon — the side facing Earth is dark; Waxing Crescent — a small sliver of light appears on the right side in the Northern Hemisphere; First Quarter — half the Moon is lit on the right side; Waxing Gibbous — more than half is lit but not yet full; Full Moon — the whole face is illuminated; Waning Gibbous — light starts decreasing on the right side; Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) — another half-Moon, now with the left side lit; Waning Crescent — a thin sliver remains on the left before darkness. These definitions explain why the moon phase today presents as a bright, expanding disk rather than a thin crescent.
What Comes Next
The immediate calendar marker is the next Full Moon, which NASA’s Daily Moon Guide predicts for April 1, 2026 (ET) in North America. Observers tracking lunar progress should note that the moon phase today will continue its sweep toward full over the coming nights, changing which surface features are best showcased at limb and terminator. Expect sharper relief on features listed above as sunlight angle shifts between now and the April 1, 2026 (ET) Full Moon.
Fast follow: keep a pair of binoculars handy tonight; with 85% illumination the moon phase today will reveal both broad mare regions to the unaided eye and finer crater detail to modest optics, per NASA’s Daily Moon Guide. Skywatchers should check the sky again as the Moon approaches April 1, 2026 (ET) to catch the Full Moon peak and shifting surface highlights.
