Moon today
What the Moon is like now — waxing or waning, what percentage of it is lit, when the Moon rises and sets in your city and when the next full Moon is.
- —phase
- —of the disk lit
- —since new Moon
The Moon over the city today
Upcoming Moon phases
Moon phase calendar
Illumination is given for noon local time; ↑ means the Moon is waxing, ↓ means it is waning. On the days of the new Moon, full Moon and quarters the exact time is given. This is an astronomical calendar: it contains only what can be seen in the sky.
How to tell a waxing Moon from a waning one
The rule works everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere the Moon is seen “upside down”, and everything is the other way round, while near the equator the crescent lies almost horizontally, like a little boat.
Moon phases in order
- New Moon
The Moon is between the Earth and the Sun and turns its unlit side to us — it can’t be seen in the sky.
- Waxing crescent
A thin crescent in the evening in the west, soon after sunset. The dark part of the disk can sometimes be seen — it is lit by light from the Earth (earthshine).
- First quarter
The right half of the disk is lit. The Moon rises around noon and is seen in the evening and in the first half of the night.
- Waxing gibbous
More than half is lit. Seen in the evening and for most of the night.
- Full Moon
The disk is fully lit. The Moon rises at sunset, shines all night and sets at dawn.
- Waning gibbous
Rises late in the evening, seen in the second half of the night and in the morning.
- Last quarter
The left half is lit. The Moon rises around midnight and is seen until morning and in the first half of the day.
- Waning crescent
A thin crescent in the early morning in the east, before sunrise.
The whole cycle from new Moon to new Moon takes 29.5 days on average. The Moon rises later every day — by 50 minutes on average — so the waxing Moon is seen in the evening and the waning Moon in the early morning.
Questions
How can you tell a waxing Moon from a waning one?
Imagine a straight stick next to the Moon. If you get the letter “D”, the Moon is waxing and its right edge is lit. If the Moon looks like the letter “C”, it is waning (getting older). The rule works everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere; in the Southern Hemisphere it is the other way round.
How long is a lunar month?
From new Moon to new Moon — 29.5 days on average (29 days 12 hours 44 minutes). The Moon goes around the Earth faster, in 27.3 days, but during that time the Earth moves along its orbit around the Sun, and the Moon needs about two more days to reach the same phase.
Why does the Moon have phases?
The Moon doesn’t shine by itself — it is lit by the Sun, and exactly half of the Moon is always lit. Over a month the Moon goes around the Earth, and we see its lit half in full (full Moon), from the side (quarters) or not at all (new Moon). Earth’s shadow has nothing to do with it: it falls on the Moon only during a lunar eclipse.
Why can the Moon be seen in the daytime?
The Moon is bright enough to be seen against the blue sky. In the daytime it is easiest to spot around the quarters: the waxing Moon in the afternoon in the east and south, the waning Moon in the morning in the south and west.
When is the next full Moon?
The date and time of the next full Moon are at the top of the page, in the “Upcoming Moon phases” section, in the selected city’s time. A full Moon comes on average every 29.5 days, so sometimes there are two full Moons in one calendar month.
Why does the Moon look huge near the horizon?
It’s an illusion. If you measure it, the Moon near the horizon is the same size as high in the sky, and even slightly smaller: it is farther away by the radius of the Earth. The eye compares it with buildings and trees, and the Moon seems big.