What is the Moon phase on February 25? Timings, illumination, and viewing tips

Today, on February 25, viewers worldwide will observe the Moon in its waxing gibbous phase. This arrives on the heels of the first quarter phase, which graced the skies yesterday, and the February 23 crescent. Much like all other Moon phases, the waxing gibbous phase also presents skywatchers with its own set of opportunities to observe various celestial bodies. Here is all that you need to know for tonight’s lunar phase. 

The waxing gibbous Moon

The waxing gibbous phase occurs when the lit-up part of the Moon’s face grows from 50.1% to 99.9% in the build-up towards a full Moon. The term ‘waxing’ means growing, while the term ‘gibbous’ refers to the oval-to-round shape. A waxing gibbous rises in the afternoon and sets before sunrise, past midnight, so it is mostly up when the sky is dark.

Illumination and distance

The Moon is in the 8th day of its 29.5-day lunar cycle, with 59% of its visible side illuminated by the Sun, per NASA's Daily Moon Guide. It is currently located about 230,029 miles (370,196 kilometers) from Earth and has an angular diameter of 1936.1 arcseconds. For the uninitiated, angular diameter here refers to how large the Moon appears in the sky. This number changes as the Moon's distance from Earth varies throughout its orbit.

What the gibbous Moon means for skywatchers

If you do not have binoculars or a telescope, you can look out for the Mare Serenitatis, Mare Vaporum, and Mare Crisium. Binoculars, meanwhile, will give you good views of the Endymion and Posidonius craters, while the Rima Ariadaeus and the Apollo 11 landing site will be adequately visible through a telescope.

Moonrise and moonset timings

Like always, moonrise and moonset timings will vary with location. The timings for some cities, according to TimeandDate, are as follows:

1.New York - Moonrise at 11:09 am local time and moonset at 03:29 am (Feb 26)

2. Los Angeles - Moonrise at 11:39 am local time and moonset at 03:07 am (Feb 26)

3. Shanghai - Moonrise at 11:10 am local time and moonset at 02:18 am (Feb 26)

4. Beijing - Moonrise at 11:01 am local time and moonset at 03:11 am (Feb 26)

5. London - Moonrise at 10:00 am local time and moonset at 04:23 am (Feb 26)

6. Birmingham - Moonrise at 10:00 am local time and moonset at 04:39 am (Feb 26)

More on Starlust

March 3 'Blood Moon' is your last chance to see a total lunar eclipse until 2028

Rare planetary parade on February 28 as six planets gather in the evening sky