You probably looked up at the sky and thought it still looked pretty much like a full circle. It didn't. Not exactly. The moon phase last night was technically a Waning Gibbous, moving steadily away from that peak 100% illumination we saw just a couple of days ago. It’s that weird, slightly lopsided shape that tricks the brain. From a distance, it looks round. If you really squint or pull out a pair of decent binoculars, you’ll see the "terminator" line—the shadow edge—starting to creep in from the right side.
It’s a transition.
Most people ignore this part of the lunar cycle. Everyone wants the "Supermoon" or the "Blood Moon," but the Waning Gibbous is where the real detail lives. Because the light is hitting the lunar surface at a sharper angle now, the craters on the edge actually have shadows. They pop. A full moon is actually kinda boring for astronomers because it’s flat and washed out. Last night was different. It had texture.
What Was Actually Happening with the Moon Phase Last Night?
To get technical for a second, the moon was roughly 92% to 96% illuminated depending on your exact time zone and when you stepped outside. We are currently in the "waning" portion of the cycle. "Wane" basically just means shrinking. "Gibbous" comes from a Latin word meaning humpbacked. So, we’re looking at a shrinking hump. Not the most poetic name, but it’s accurate.
During this phase, the Moon is rising later and later each night. If you were looking for it right at sunset, you probably didn't see it. It likely didn't clear your local horizon until well after dark. By the time it was high in the sky, it was dominating the stars around it, specifically washing out some of the dimmer constellations like Cancer or the fainter parts of Leo.
The Science of the "Illusion"
Ever notice how the moon looks absolutely massive when it’s near the horizon? That’s the Moon Illusion. It happened last night too. Even though the moon phase last night was technically smaller than a full moon, if you caught it rising over a building or some trees, it looked giant. This is just your brain being a bit of a liar. When the moon is near objects we know are big—like a skyscraper or an oak tree—our brain compares them and decides the moon must be gargantuan. When it’s high in the empty sky? It looks like a tiny marble.
The physics don't change. The distance between Earth and the Moon last night was roughly 382,000 kilometers. That’s a lot of empty space.
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Why the Waning Gibbous Affects Your Sleep (Really)
A lot of people claim they can't sleep during a full moon, but the Waning Gibbous is actually the sneakier culprit. A study published in Science Advances by researchers at the University of Washington found that in the days leading up to and immediately following a full moon, people tend to go to bed later and sleep less.
Why?
Because of the light. Last night, the moon was bright enough to cast distinct shadows on the ground well into the early morning hours. Even with curtains, that extra lunar glare can mess with your circadian rhythm. Our ancestors lived by this light. They hunted by it. They traveled by it. Your brain hasn't quite forgotten that "bright light outside" usually means "stay awake."
If you felt a bit wired or woke up at 3:00 AM for no reason, you can probably blame the moon phase last night. It provides a significant amount of natural light during the "first half" of the night, which is exactly when your body is trying to dump melatonin into your system.
Photography Tips You Probably Missed
If you tried to snap a photo with your phone, it probably looked like a blurry white light bulb. Total mess.
The trick with a Waning Gibbous is to underexpose. Because the moon is so bright against the dark sky, your phone’s camera gets confused. It tries to make the whole scene bright, which blows out all the detail on the lunar surface.
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- Tap the moon on your screen.
- Slide the brightness (the little sun icon) way down.
- You’ll suddenly see the "Seas" (the Maria)—those dark basaltic plains.
- Look for Tycho crater; it’s the one with the long white streaks (rays) coming out of it.
Last night was a prime time for this because the slight shadow on the edge provides the contrast that a full moon lacks. You don't need a $2,000 DSLR. You just need to stop letting the auto-exposure do all the work.
Misconceptions About "Blue Moons" and Colors
You might have heard someone call it a "Blue Moon" recently. Honestly, people throw that term around way too much. A Blue Moon is just the second full moon in a single calendar month. It has nothing to do with color. Last night wasn't blue. It was likely a pale, bone-white or a dusty yellow if there was any humidity or smoke in your local atmosphere.
The color of the moon phase last night is dictated by Earth's atmosphere, not the moon itself. If it looked orange to you, that’s just Rayleigh scattering. The blue light waves get scattered by the air, leaving only the longer red and orange waves to reach your eyes. It’s the same reason sunsets are red.
Is the Moon Moving Away?
Yeah, actually. It is. But not enough that you’d notice since yesterday. It moves about 3.8 centimeters away from Earth every year. So the moon you saw last night was technically a tiny bit further away than the one your parents saw thirty years ago. It’s a slow breakup. Eventually, millions of years from now, the moon will be too far away to cause total solar eclipses. We’re lucky to live in the era we do.
What’s Coming Next?
The moon isn't stopping. It’s on a cycle that takes about 29.5 days to complete. Over the next week, you’ll notice that shadow on the right side getting bigger. It will eventually reach the "Last Quarter" phase.
At that point, it’ll look like a perfect half-circle.
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The interesting thing about the Last Quarter (which follows this Waning Gibbous) is that it doesn't even rise until midnight. If you're a morning person, you’ll see it high in the sky during your morning commute. There’s something eerie and cool about seeing a bright moon in a bright blue morning sky.
Actionable Steps for Moon Watchers
If you’re interested in tracking this or just want to know when the sky will be dark enough to see stars clearly, here is what you should do:
1. Check the Moonrise Time
Don't just look out at 8:00 PM and give up. Use an app like Time and Date or Stellarium. The moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. Knowing the rise time stops you from staring at an empty horizon.
2. Watch the "Terminator"
Get a cheap pair of 10x50 binoculars. Look at the line where light meets dark. That’s where the mountains are highest and the craters are deepest. That’s where the moon looks like a 3D world instead of a flat sticker in the sky.
3. Adjust Your Sleep Hygiene
Since we're in a bright lunar phase, pull the blackout curtains tight for the next three nights. The Waning Gibbous is notorious for "leaking" into bedrooms and causing restless cycles.
4. Plan for the New Moon
If you like stargazing, wait about 10 days. When the moon phase last night finally vanishes into the New Moon phase, the sky will be dark enough to see the Milky Way (if you're away from city lights).
The moon is a clock. It’s the most consistent thing in our lives, even when the world feels chaotic. Last night was just one "tick" of that clock, moving us toward the end of the lunar month. Take a second tonight to see how much more of that shadow has moved in. It’s faster than you think.