Look up tonight. If the clouds play nice, you’re seeing a moon that is currently in its Waning Gibbous phase. It’s that slightly "off" shape—not a perfect circle anymore, but still bright enough to cast those long, sharp shadows on the sidewalk. Honestly, most people ignore the sky until it hits the news for a "Super Blood Wolf Moon" or some other dramatic title, but knowing exactly where are we in the moon cycle right now helps you predict everything from tonight's visibility for stargazing to why the tides are acting the way they are at the local pier.
We just passed the Full Wolf Moon on January 3rd. That was the peak. Now, the illumination is shrinking. It’s "waning." It’s basically the universe’s way of winding down the lights after a big party.
The Current State of the Sky: January 13, 2026
Right now, the moon is sitting at roughly 24 days into its 29.5-day synodic cycle. It’s about 30% illuminated. You’ll notice it’s rising later and later into the night. Actually, if you’re an early riser, you’ll probably see it hanging pale and ghostly in the western sky during your morning commute tomorrow.
The moon is currently moving toward the Last Quarter phase, which hits officially tomorrow, January 14th. This is that perfect "half-moon" look where the left side is lit (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere) and the right side is dark. It’s a transition point. A celestial crossroads. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data shows that during this specific stretch, the shadows along the "terminator line"—the line dividing day and night on the moon—are the longest. This makes it the absolute best time for amateur astronomers to point a cheap pair of binoculars at the craters. The shadows provide the depth you just don't get during a flat, bright Full Moon.
Why the "Age" of the Moon Matters
Astronomers track the moon by its "age," which is just the number of days since the last New Moon. We are on Day 24.
Think about it this way. The cycle is a heartbeat.
New Moon (Day 0) is the silence.
Full Moon (Day 14-15) is the peak of the beat.
Now, at Day 24, we are in the fade-out.
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Where Are We in the Moon Cycle Compared to Last Month?
Lunar cycles don't align perfectly with our 30-day or 31-day calendar months. This is why we get Blue Moons every couple of years. In December 2025, the lunar phases fell earlier in the month. This January, things have shifted.
Because the lunar month is about 29.5 days, the phases "drift" backward through our calendar. This is why the New Moon—the period of total darkness—is coming up soon. Specifically, we are heading toward a New Moon on January 18th, 2026. If you’re planning a camping trip or want to see the Milky Way, that’s your target date. Dark skies are a luxury in our light-polluted world, and the window between now and the 18th is when the sky gets progressively darker and better for deep-space viewing.
The Mechanics of Waning
As we move through this Waning Gibbous and into the Third Quarter, the moon is technically "behind" the Earth in its orbital path relative to the sun. It’s trailing us.
- Waning Gibbous: The "shrinking" phase after the full moon.
- Last Quarter: Exactly half-illuminated, rising at midnight and setting at noon.
- Waning Crescent: The "fingernail" moon that appears in the pre-dawn sky.
Dr. Andrea Jones, a planetary scientist, often points out that people confuse "waning" and "waxing" all the time. Here’s the trick: if the light is on the left, it’s leaving (Waning). If the light is on the right, it’s arriving (Waxing). Simple. Well, simple for us in the North. If you’re reading this from Australia or Argentina, everything I just said about left and right is flipped. Perspective is everything in space.
Misconceptions About the Current Phase
You’ve probably heard people say the moon is "out tonight." But during this part of the cycle, that’s only half true. Since we are approaching the Last Quarter, the moon doesn't even rise until around midnight.
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If you go for a walk at 8:00 PM tonight looking for it, you’ll see nothing but stars.
It’s a common mistake. People think the moon is always a night-time object. In reality, the moon is above the horizon during the daylight hours for about half of its life. During this Waning phase, it’s a morning moon. You’ll see it high in the sky at 9:00 AM, looking like a faint, white sticker someone forgot to peel off the blue sky.
Does it actually affect your sleep?
There’s a lot of talk about the "Lunar Effect" on human behavior. While the "transylvania effect" (people going crazy during a full moon) is mostly a myth debunked by several meta-analyses of police and hospital records, sleep is a different story.
A 2021 study published in Science Advances tracked people in both rural and urban environments. It found that in the days leading up to a full moon, people went to bed later and slept less. Since we are currently in the waning phase—moving away from the full moon—you might actually find it easier to catch some Z's this week. The biological "pressure" of the moonlight is lifting.
The Road to the New Moon: What's Next?
So, we know where we are in the moon cycle—the home stretch of the January rotation. What should you look for over the next seven days?
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- The Shrinking Crescent: By January 16th, the moon will be a thin sliver. This is the "Balsamic Moon." It’s incredibly thin and usually only visible right before sunrise. It’s arguably the most beautiful part of the month because of something called "Earthshine."
- Earthshine (Da Vinci Glow): Look at the dark part of the moon during the crescent phase. Can you see a faint ghost of the full circle? That’s sunlight reflecting off the Earth, hitting the moon, and bouncing back to your eyes. Leonardo da Vinci figured that out 500 years ago.
- The Disappearance: On January 18th, the moon will be between the Earth and the Sun. It will be "lost" in the sun's glare.
Why Astronomers Care About This Week
This specific window—the waning phase—is the "goldilocks" zone for telescope owners. Why? Because the moon rises so late. If you want to look at the Orion Nebula or the Pleiades, you want the moon out of the way.
Since the moon won't be up in the early evening this week, the sky will be exceptionally dark. It's the best time for "deep sky" observation. If you wait until next week, the New Moon will have passed, and a new Waxing Crescent will start appearing in the evening, bringing back that light pollution.
Actionable Steps for the Current Moon Phase
Don't just read about it. Go see it.
- Check the Rise Time: Use an app or a site like TimeAndDate. Note that tonight, the moon won't show up until well after dinner.
- Look for Venus: While you're looking for the moon, keep an eye out for the "Morning Star." Since we're in a waning cycle, the moon and Venus often put on a show in the eastern sky just before dawn.
- Photography Tip: If you want to photograph the moon this week, don't wait for total darkness. The "sweet spot" for Waning Gibbous and Last Quarter moons is actually during the "Blue Hour" just before sunrise. The contrast is lower, which means you can actually see the craters and the blue sky at the same time without blowing out the highlights.
- Garden Planning: If you follow old-school folklore (like the Farmer’s Almanac), the waning moon is the time for "below-ground" tasks. It's the time for pruning and harvesting, rather than planting new seeds. Whether you believe in the lunar pull on soil moisture or not, it's a great rhythmic reminder to get out in the yard.
We are currently in a phase of release and shadow. The brightness of early January is gone, and the quiet dark of the mid-winter New Moon is approaching. Use these darker nights to your advantage before the cycle resets and the light begins its slow crawl back to full on February 1st.
Watch the left side of the disk. Watch it shrink. By the time the weekend hits, it'll be a mere ghost of itself, leaving the stars to do the heavy lifting in the night sky.
Next Steps:
- Tonight: Locate the moon after midnight to see the Waning Gibbous illumination.
- January 14: Observe the Last Quarter "half-moon" in the early morning sky.
- January 18: Prepare for the New Moon by finding a location with low light pollution for stargazing.