The moon's phases are caused by the changing angle from which the sun illuminates it as the moon makes its way around the Earth. What to look for The current phase of the moon is waxing gibbous.

A "waxing" moon is getting larger while a "waning" moon is shrinking. Most people are familiar with a "crescent" shape, but the word "gibbous" is not normally in most people's vocabulary.

This week, you have an easy guide: our waxing gibbous moon.This all starts Tuesday, June 27. Look for our waxing gibbous moon near Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.