Moon Phase Today: Waxing Gibbous Moon Reaches 63% on April 25
Moon phase today: as of Saturday, April 25, 2026, the Moon is Waxing Gibbous and 63% of the Moon will be lit tonight. For readers checking the sky before dark, the next Full Moon is predicted for May 1, the first of two Full Moons in May.
The Moon moves through a 29.5-day cycle around Earth, and NASA describes eight stages in that sequence: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent. Lois Mackenzie’s reporting frames this week’s update around the practical question observers are asking now: what can be seen tonight, and what comes next.
April 25 Waxing Gibbous
The Moon is already past First Quarter and heading toward Full Moon, which puts more of its face in sunlight each night. On April 25, 2026, that means a Waxing Gibbous Moon and 63% illumination, a level that gives the sky a brighter lunar presence than earlier in the week.
For skywatchers using only the naked eye, the visible surface should include Mare Crisium, Mare Tranquillitatis, and Mare Fecunditatis. Those names matter because they are the easiest features in this phase to locate without equipment, especially for readers trying to compare what they see with a lunar map.
Binoculars and telescopes
Binoculars should bring Mare Nectaris, Posidonius Crater, and the Apennine Mountains into view. A telescope goes further, revealing the Apollo 16 landing spot, Rupes Altai, and Rima Hyginus. That gives observers three different ways to use the same evening: unaided viewing, binocular detail, or a telescope session focused on specific lunar landmarks.
The practical limit is simple: each step up in equipment adds more surface detail, but the Moon itself is not waiting for a special night to be seen. Readers who want the clearest contrast should use tonight’s Waxing Gibbous phase while the illuminated portion is still building toward Full Moon.
May 1 Full Moon
The next Full Moon is predicted for May 1, and it will be the first of two Full Moons in May. That leaves a short window between tonight’s 63% illumination and the brighter lunar disk that follows a few days later.
For anyone planning a look outside, tonight offers a measurable step in the lunar cycle rather than a repeat of last night’s sky. The Moon is climbing toward its next peak, and May 1 is the date readers can mark for the next Full Moon.
