waning gibbous

The "waning gibbous" refers to a specific phase of the Moon that occurs after a full moon and before the third quarter (or last quarter) moon. During this phase, the illuminated portion of the Moon visible from Earth is shrinking, decreasing from about 100% illumination down to 50%. The term "waning" means the illuminated part is getting smaller, while "gibbous" describes the Moon's oval-to-round shape, where more than half but not fully illuminated is visible. In summary, the waning gibbous moon is the phase where the Moon is more than half lit up but gradually losing light after being fully illuminated during the full moon.