Moon Phase Today
See tonight’s moon, how much of it is lit and when the next full moon and new moon arrive.
Loading tonight’s moon…
The next 7 nights
Watch the moon change over the coming week.
Why the moon changes shape
The moon does not make its own light. Half of it is always lit by the sun, and what changes is how much of that sunlit half we can see from Earth. As the moon travels around us, roughly once every 29.5 days, the angle between the sun, Earth and moon shifts, so the lit part appears to grow, become full and shrink again.
When the moon sits between Earth and the sun, its lit side faces away from us and we see a New Moon. About two weeks later the moon is on the far side of Earth, its lit side faces us and we see a Full Moon. Everything in between is a crescent, quarter or gibbous moon.
Waxing or waning?
“Waxing” means the lit part is growing night by night, leading up to the Full Moon. “Waning” means it is shrinking towards the next New Moon. In the Northern Hemisphere a waxing moon is lit on the right; in the Southern Hemisphere it appears lit on the left. Our moon images use the Northern Hemisphere view.
What each phase is traditionally used for
- New Moon: setting intentions and starting quietly.
- Waxing Crescent and First Quarter: taking action and building momentum.
- Waxing Gibbous: adjusting plans and being patient.
- Full Moon: celebrating, reflecting and sharing feelings.
- Waning phases: gratitude, letting go and rest.
Want the full picture for a whole month? Open the moon calendar. Curious about the night you were born? Try the birthday moon phase tool.
Times are calculated from the average length of the lunar cycle and are accurate to within several hours. For precise astronomical times, check your national observatory or astronomy almanac.