Live, never out of date
A daily article goes stale by midnight. This tool recalculates the moon every minute and always uses your own timezone, so today really means today.
Live for your timezone
Moon Phase TodayTonight's Moon, Illumination and Next Full Moon
See the moon phase today, worked out live for your timezone. The tool shows tonight's moon, how much of it is lit, its age and distance, and when the next full moon and new moon arrive. You can also check any date from 1900 to 2100 or browse the monthly moon calendar.
- Updates every minute
- Any date, 1900 to 2100
- Northern and southern view
- No location needed
Current moon phase
Loading the moon
- Illumination–of the disc is lit
- Moon age–of a 29.5 day cycle
- Distance–
- Moon sign–tropical zodiac
- Next full moon–
- Next new moon–
Your hemisphere
Moon calendar
Gold days mark the new moon, the quarters and the full moon. Tap any day to see its moon.
Upcoming moon phases
Features
Why This Moon Phase Today Tool Is Better
Most answers to this search are short news posts written once a day. This page calculates the moon for you, right now, and lets you explore.
Phase times to the minute
New moon, quarter and full moon times come from the astronomical method used in observatory handbooks. As a result, they land within a few minutes of published almanacs.
Any date in 200 years
Look up the moon on a birthday, a wedding day or a trip. For example, find the moon on the night you were born, then get your exact age with the age calculator.
A whole month at a glance
The moon phase calendar draws every night's shape and highlights the four key days. Therefore you can plan a dark sky or a bright one in seconds.
Northern and southern views
South of the equator the moon appears the other way round. Switch hemisphere and every moon on the page flips to match your sky.
More than just the phase
You also get illumination, moon age, distance, the moon sign and traditional full moon names. Nothing is uploaded and no location access is needed.
Step by step
How to Check the Moon Phase
The page opens on the current moon, so most people have their answer straight away.
Read today's moon
The large moon shows the current phase and the tiles beside it give the illumination, age and distance. The picture matches what you will see tonight.
Pick another date
Use the date box to jump to any day between 1900 and 2100. Press Today whenever you want to return to the live moon.
Browse the moon calendar
Move through the months with the arrows. Then tap a day to load its moon, or look for the gold days to find each full moon and new moon.
Plan ahead
The upcoming list gives the date and time of the next eight phases. In addition, you can count the days with the countdown to date tool.
The lunar cycle
The Eight Moon Phases Explained
The moon takes 29.53 days to go from one new moon to the next. During that time it passes through eight named phases, each with its own rising time.
| Phase | Lit | Rises around | Best time to see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Moon | 0% | Sunrise | Not visible |
| Waxing Crescent | 1 to 49% | Mid-morning | After sunset, low in the west |
| First Quarter | 50% | Midday | Afternoon and evening |
| Waxing Gibbous | 51 to 99% | Mid-afternoon | Most of the night |
| Full Moon | 100% | Sunset | All night |
| Waning Gibbous | 99 to 51% | Mid-evening | Late night and morning |
| Last Quarter | 50% | Midnight | Early hours and morning |
| Waning Crescent | 49 to 1% | Before dawn | Just before sunrise, low in the east |
Waxing means the lit part is growing and waning means it is shrinking. Rising times are typical values, because the exact time depends on where you are and on the season.
Tradition
Full Moon Names by Month
Each full moon has a traditional name that follows the seasons of North America. The tool uses these names in the upcoming list.
- JanuaryWolf Moon
- FebruarySnow Moon
- MarchWorm Moon
- AprilPink Moon
- MayFlower Moon
- JuneStrawberry Moon
- JulyBuck Moon
- AugustSturgeon Moon
- SeptemberCorn Moon
- OctoberHunter's Moon
- NovemberBeaver Moon
- DecemberCold Moon
The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox, so it replaces the usual name in September or October. A second full moon in one calendar month is called a Blue Moon.
Benefits
What People Use the Moon Phase For
Knowing the moon phase today helps with far more than curiosity. Here are the most common reasons people check it.
Stargazing and photography
A new moon gives the darkest sky for the Milky Way and meteor showers. On the other hand, a quarter moon shows craters in sharp relief.
Fishing and tides
The highest and lowest tides arrive around the new moon and the full moon. Anglers, surfers and sailors therefore plan trips around those days.
Gardening by the moon
Many gardeners sow leafy crops while the moon is waxing and root crops while it is waning. The calendar makes those windows easy to spot.
Festivals and fasts
Many calendars follow the moon. For instance, Purnima and Amavasya, the Islamic months, Chinese New Year and the date of Easter all depend on it.
Camping and night hikes
A bright gibbous or full moon lights a trail without a torch. Check the phase first, and plan your wake-up with the sleep calculator.
Teaching and learning
Students can follow the lunar cycle night by night and compare the drawing with the real sky. Because the tool is visual, the idea clicks quickly.
FAQ
Moon Phase Questions and Answers
What is the moon phase today?
The moon at the top of this page shows the moon phase today for your timezone, together with the share of the disc that is lit. It refreshes every minute, so the answer is always current. The phase is the same across the world at any moment, and only the local date and the tilt of the moon differ.
When is the next full moon?
The Next full moon tile shows the date for your timezone and counts down the days. The upcoming list also gives the exact time of the next eight phases. A full moon arrives about every 29.5 days.
How long does each moon phase last?
A complete cycle from one new moon to the next takes 29.53 days on average. New moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter are single moments in time. The crescent and gibbous phases between them each last about 7.4 days.
What does moon illumination mean?
Illumination is the share of the moon's visible disc that is lit by the sun. It runs from 0% at new moon to 100% at full moon, and it is 50% at the first and last quarter. The moon can look full to the eye for about a day either side of the exact moment.
Why does the moon look different in the southern hemisphere?
People south of the equator see the moon the other way up. A waxing moon is lit on the right in the northern hemisphere and on the left in the southern hemisphere. Use the hemisphere switch so the picture matches your sky.
Is the moon phase the same everywhere in the world?
Yes. Everyone on Earth sees the same phase at the same moment. However, the calendar date of a full moon can differ by a day between countries because of time zones, which is why this tool uses your local time.
How accurate is this moon phase calculator?
Phase times use the algorithms of the astronomer Jean Meeus and match published almanac times to within a few minutes. Illumination is accurate to about one percentage point, and distance is an estimate rounded to the nearest 100 km. The tool does not show moonrise or moonset, because those depend on your exact location.
What is a blue moon and a supermoon?
A blue moon is the second full moon in one calendar month. A supermoon is a full moon that happens when the moon is near its closest point to Earth. It can look up to 14% wider and about 30% brighter than the smallest full moon of the year.
Check Tonight's Moon Any Time
Whether you are planning a night under the stars, a fishing trip or a festival, the moon phase today is one tap away. Open the live moon, pick a date or scan the calendar, and you will know what the sky holds.
See the moon now