The phases of the Moon, explained
The Moon has eight phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. They come from the Moon's changing angle to the Sun as it orbits Earth, and one full cycle, from new moon to new moon, lasts 29.53 days on average.
Below you will find each phase drawn from the Moon's real geometry, what causes the phases, how long the cycle lasts, where the Moon stands in it right now and when the next phases fall. A separate, clearly marked section covers what astrology reads into each phase.
The Moon right now
Livewaning gibbous
- 96% lit
- Day 17.4 of the cycle
- Moon in Aries
As of September 28, 2026 at 12:34 UTC
The next principal phases
- last quarterSat, October 3 at 13:25 UTC
- new moonSat, October 10 at 15:50 UTC
- first quarterSun, October 18 at 16:12 UTC
- full moonMon, October 26 at 04:11 UTC
The eight phases
- 01
new moon
0% lit · 0° from the Sun
The Moon sits between Earth and the Sun and turns its dark side to us. It rises and sets with the Sun and is lost in the Sun's glare, so the new moon itself cannot be seen. Only at this phase can a solar eclipse happen.
- 02
waxing crescent
15% lit · 45° from the Sun
A thin crescent appears in the western sky after sunset a day or two after the new moon and grows a little each evening. The rest of the disc often glows faintly with earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth.
- 03
first quarter
50% lit · 90° from the Sun
Half the disc is lit, and the Moon has covered a quarter of its orbit, which is where the name comes from. It is high in the south around sunset in the northern hemisphere and sets around midnight.
- 04
waxing gibbous
85% lit · 135° from the Sun
More than half is lit and the light keeps growing. The Moon rises in the afternoon and is in the sky for most of the night.
- 05
full moon
100% lit · 180° from the Sun
The Moon stands opposite the Sun and the whole face turned to us is lit. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise. Only at this phase can a lunar eclipse happen.
- 06
waning gibbous
85% lit · 225° from the Sun
The light starts to shrink from the side that was lit first. The Moon rises later each evening and is still in the sky well after sunrise.
- 07
last quarter
50% lit · 270° from the Sun
Half the disc is lit again, the other half this time. The Moon rises around midnight and is best seen in the morning sky.
- 08
waning crescent
15% lit · 315° from the Sun
A thinning crescent rises shortly before the Sun and is seen in the east at dawn, until it disappears into the next new moon.
§ 01
What causes the phases
The Sun always lights half of the Moon, the half that faces it. What changes over a month is how much of that lit half we can see from Earth. As the Moon travels around its orbit, the angle between the Moon, Earth and the Sun changes, and we see the lit half face on, edge on, or anything in between.
Astronomers measure that angle as the elongation: the Moon's distance from the Sun along the sky. At 0 degrees it is new, at 90 degrees first quarter, at 180 degrees full and at 270 degrees last quarter. The lit fraction of the disc follows directly from the angle, which is how every figure on this page is drawn.
Earth's shadow has nothing to do with the phases. It falls on the Moon only during a lunar eclipse, and that can happen only at full moon when the Moon is close to one of the points where its orbit crosses the Sun's path, the lunar nodes. The Moon and eclipses guide covers the nodes and eclipses in detail.
§ 02
Waxing and waning
From new moon to full moon the lit part grows: the Moon is waxing. From full back to new it shrinks: the Moon is waning. In the northern hemisphere a waxing Moon is lit on the right and a waning Moon on the left. An old rule of thumb in several languages matches the shape of the Moon to letters of the alphabet, but it only works north of the equator.
Timing gives it away too. A waxing Moon is an evening Moon, already up at sunset. A waning Moon is a morning Moon that rises late at night and hangs in the sky after dawn.
§ 03
Why the Moon looks different in the southern hemisphere
Everyone on Earth sees the same phase at the same moment: a full moon is full in Sydney and in Istanbul alike. What differs is the orientation. Observers in the southern hemisphere look north to see the Moon, so from their point of view it is upside down compared with the view from the north, and the lit side is mirrored: a waxing crescent is lit on the left.
Near the equator the crescent lies almost flat, lit from below or above, and is sometimes called a boat or smiling Moon. The second row of discs above shows the same eight phases as they appear from the southern hemisphere.
§ 04
How long a lunar cycle lasts
There are two ways to measure a month by the Moon, and they differ by more than two days.
- Synodic month, new moon to new moon (mean)
- 29.530589 days: 29 d 12 h 44 min
- Sidereal month, once around against the stars (mean)
- 27.321662 days: 27 d 7 h 43 min
- Shortest and longest lunation, 2026 to 2035
- 29.28 to 29.82 days
The phases follow the synodic month. While the Moon goes once around Earth, Earth moves about 27 degrees along its own orbit, so the Moon needs roughly two more days to catch up with the same angle to the Sun. Because the Moon's orbit is elliptical and the Sun tugs on it, a single lunation can be several hours shorter or longer than the mean; the range above is computed from every new moon in the period.
What astrology reads into each phase
What astrology reads into each phase
This section is astrology, a symbolic tradition, and not astronomy. The phases themselves are measurable; the meanings below are how astrologers interpret them.
new moon
A time for beginnings: setting intentions, planting ideas, starting quietly before anything shows.
waxing crescent
The first push. Plans meet their first resistance, and the task is to keep going.
first quarter
A test of the plan. Decisions and adjustments, often with some tension.
waxing gibbous
Refining and preparing. Details are polished before things come to a head.
full moon
Culmination and visibility. What was started comes to light, and feelings run high.
waning gibbous
Sharing and digesting what the full moon showed. A good phase for passing on what you learned.
last quarter
Taking stock. Letting go of what no longer works and clearing space.
waning crescent
Rest before the next cycle. Retreat, reflection and closing loose ends.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- How many phases does the Moon have?
- Eight are usually named: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. Four of them, new, first quarter, full and last quarter, are exact moments; the other four are the stretches in between.
- How long does each moon phase last?
- The four principal phases are instants, measured to the minute. The four in-between phases last about 7.4 days each on average, a quarter of the 29.53 day cycle. In everyday use a phase name is often given to the whole day around the exact moment.
- Why is the full moon not always full on the night of the date given?
- The full moon is the exact moment the Moon is opposite the Sun. Calendars give that moment in one time zone, often UTC, so in your own zone it can fall on the previous or next date. To the eye the Moon looks full for a day or so either side.
- Does everyone on Earth see the same moon phase?
- Yes. The phase depends on the positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon, so it is the same everywhere at the same moment. What changes with your latitude is the orientation: in the southern hemisphere the lit side is mirrored.
Sources
- NASA Science: Moon phases
- US Naval Observatory: phases of the Moon
- NASA JPL Horizons ephemeris system
- Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd edition (1998), chapters 47 and 49
Every date, time and percentage on this page is computed by the NovaOracles astronomy engine and checked against JPL Horizons and the US Naval Observatory. Times are given in Universal Time (UTC).
Read the guide
Moon phases and eclipses