New moons generally can’t be seen. They cross the sky with the sun during the day. This month’s new moon happens on February 23 at 15:32 UTC.

The full moon you’ll see this weekend will rise at sunset. It’ll be highest up in the middle of the night when the sun is below our feet. It’ll set when the sun rises. But why does it look full?

The 1st quarter moon happens 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.

The moon reaches its last quarter phase on February 15, 2020 at 22:17 UTC.

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.’