If you stepped outside last night and looked up, you probably saw a moon that looked almost whole but felt just a little "off" on one side. It wasn't that crisp, perfect circle we see during a Full Moon. It was heavy. Luminous.
Last night, the moon was in its Waning Gibbous phase.
Specifically, for January 16 going into January 17, 2026, the moon was roughly 92% illuminated. It’s that awkward middle child of the lunar cycle. The peak excitement of the Full Moon—which happened just a couple of days ago on January 14—is fading, but the sky is still incredibly bright. You might have noticed that the moon didn't even show up until well after the sun went down. That’s the hallmark of this phase. It rises late. It lingers into the morning.
The Science of the Waning Gibbous
Basically, "waning" means shrinking and "gibbous" refers to that rounded, humped shape that is more than half but less than full.
When the moon is in this stage, the sunlight is hitting it from an angle that starts to reveal the shadows of the lunar craters on the eastern edge. If you have a pair of binoculars, last night was actually a better time to look at the moon than the Full Moon itself. During a Full Moon, the light is flat. It’s like taking a photo with a direct flash; all the detail gets washed out. But last night? The "terminator line"—the line between light and dark—started creeping in. That’s where the drama is. You can see the jagged edges of the Tycho crater or the vast, dark basaltic plains of the Maria.
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Astronomically, we are moving toward the Last Quarter. The moon's journey from full back to new takes about 14 days, and we are currently in that high-energy comedown.
Why you probably didn't sleep well
There is a lot of anecdotal talk about the "lunar effect," but honestly, some of it holds water. A 2013 study published in Current Biology by Christian Cajochen and his team at the University of Basel found that around the Full Moon and the days immediately following (the Waning Gibbous phase), people took longer to fall asleep and had 30% less deep sleep.
It’s not just "energy" or "vibes." It’s light pollution.
Even if you have curtains, that 92% illumination leaks in. Our ancestors didn't have blackout shades. Their circadian rhythms were tied to this silver glow. Last night, the moon was positioned in a way that it was high in the sky during the peak hours of REM sleep. If you woke up at 3:00 AM feeling like someone had left a flashlight on in the hallway, that was the Waning Gibbous doing its thing.
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The "Full Moon Hangover"
People often talk about how crazy things get during a Full Moon—the ERs get busier, the dogs bark more. But the Waning Gibbous is the period of the "hangover."
In many cultural traditions, this is the time for "banishing" or "releasing." If the Waxing phase is about building up and the Full Moon is the climax, the Waning Gibbous is about the cleanup. It’s when you realize the party is over and you need to deal with the dishes. Psychologically, this phase often triggers a desire to declutter. You might have felt a weird urge last night to clean your kitchen or finally delete those 4,000 unread emails.
It’s a transitional period. It’s less about the "new" and more about the "enough."
How to spot the Waning Gibbous tonight
If you missed it last night, don't worry. The moon doesn't just snap into a new shape. Tonight, it will be roughly 85% illuminated.
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The biggest difference you'll notice is the timing. Every night, the moon rises about 50 minutes later than the day before. This is because the moon is moving in its orbit around Earth in the same direction Earth rotates, so Earth has to spin a little bit more to "catch up" and bring the moon into view.
- Wait for the late rise: Don't look for it at sunset. You won't see it. It’ll likely crest the horizon a couple of hours after dark.
- Look West in the morning: One of the coolest things about the Waning Gibbous is seeing it against a bright blue sky at 8:00 AM.
- Check the "lean": Notice which side is dark. In the Northern Hemisphere, the left side starts to disappear first during the waning phases.
Real-world impact on tides and nature
Even though the "Supermoon" hype usually surrounds the Full Moon, the gravitational pull during the Waning Gibbous is still significant. We are moving away from the "Spring Tides" (the highest highs and lowest lows) and toward "Neap Tides."
Fishermen often swear by this phase. Specifically, in the days following the Full Moon, many species of fish change their feeding patterns. Because there is so much light at night, some predatory fish hunt more during the late hours, making the dawn fishing a bit slower. It's a shift in the ecosystem. Animals like the Great Gray Owl or certain species of night-jars are more active because they can actually see their prey.
What to do now
Since we are officially in the "shrinking" half of the month, use this time to finish things rather than start them. If you’ve been sitting on a project, now is the time to edit, refine, and cut the fat.
Actionable Steps for the Waning Gibbous:
- Audit your sleep hygiene: If the light is keeping you up, move your bed or get an eye mask. The moon will be bright for at least three more nights.
- Look for the "terminator": Use a cheap telescope or even a phone with a good zoom. Look at the line where light meets dark to see the moon's topography.
- Declutter one thing: Lean into that "releasing" energy. Throw out the junk mail. End the subscription you don't use.
- Check the morning sky: Set an alarm for 7:30 AM. Looking at a huge, pale moon while the sun is rising is one of the most grounding experiences you can have.
The moon isn't just a rock in the sky. It's a clock. And right now, that clock is telling us to slow down, look at the details, and prepare for the darkness of the New Moon coming in two weeks.