Full moon happens when the moon is most opposite the sun for any given month. The next full moon is January 10 at 19:21 UTC.

New moons generally can’t be seen. They cross the sky with the sun during the day. The next new moon happens on January 24, 2020 at 21:42 UTC.

The moon reaches its last quarter phase on January 17, 2020 at 12:58 UTC. In the coming week, watch for it to rise in the east in the hours after midnight, waning thinner each morning.

The next 1st quarter moon will come on February 2, 2020 at 1:42 UTC. That’s the evening of February 1 for clocks in the Americas. As viewed from anywhere on Earth, a 1st quarter moon is high up at sunset, looking like half a pie.

A waning crescent moon is up in the east before sunrise. It’s waning toward new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and sun.

A waning gibbous moon is a moon between full and last quarter. Watch for this moon phase from late night through early morning.

Many people report seeing earthshine on a waxing crescent moon. That’s when the darkened portion of the crescent glows dimly with light reflected from Earth.

A waxing gibbous moon appears more than half lighted, but less than full. It rises before sundown and sets somewhere between midnight and dawn.

Half the moon always faces us. And half the moon is always lit by the sun. But, in the language of astronomers, there are no ‘half moons.’