The moon is currently in its Waxing Gibbous phase, meaning it’s not a full moon in Australia tonight. Over 50% illuminated, it’s still a few days away from being full. The Waxing Gibbous phase lasts around seven days, with the moon gradually brightening until the full moon appears. During this phase, the moon rises in the east during the mid-afternoon and sits high in the eastern sky at sunset. The term “Gibbous” comes from the 14th-century Latin word “gibbosus,” meaning humpbacked.
Today, the Waxing Gibbous moon is 95% illuminated, meaning 95% of its surface is lit by the sun. This illumination constantly changes, varying up to 10% per day. The moon’s age, the number of days since the last new moon, is 12.69 days. It takes approximately 29.53 days for the moon to orbit the Earth and cycle through all eight moon phases.
The moon is currently in the zodiac sign of Cancer, at 22.24°. The moon stays in each zodiac sign for roughly 2 to 2.5 days. The zodiac moon sign reflects the moon’s position as it travels through the twelve signs of the zodiac.
The eight lunar phases are: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. The four primary moon phases are the Full Moon, New Moon, First Quarter, and Last Quarter. The four minor phases fall between these major phases. The entire lunar cycle takes approximately 29.53 days.