Moon Phase Calendar — Tonight, This Month, and Beyond

By Marko Visic · Updated Oct 6, 2026

As of 05:39 UTC on Thursday, November 12, 2026, the moon is in its waxing crescent phase, 8.1% lit, 2.9 days after the new moon.

Next full moon: Tue, Nov 24, 9:54 AM Eastern Time (Tue, Nov 24, 14:54 UTC).

Next new moon: Tue, Dec 8, 7:52 PM Eastern Time (Wed, Dec 9, 00:52 UTC).

See the moon as it looks tonight, scan the whole month at a glance, and find the next full or new moon down to the minute. No sign-up, no API key, no tracking.

The Moon Phase Calendar is a four-in-one lunar tool. The hero panel shows tonight's moon with its phase name, illumination percentage, and age in days — plus the next new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter moons in short form. A date picker lets you check any day from year 1900 onward to within one minute of accuracy. A monthly calendar grid shows every day of the month with a miniature SVG moon and illumination percentage, navigable with the ‹ • › arrows. And a chronological table lists the next 12 major phases — roughly three lunar cycles ahead — with the date and time in Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and UTC. A Northern / Southern hemisphere toggle flips the moon's orientation if you observe from below the equator.

Tonight's moon

Waxing Crescent

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Illumination8.1%

Moon age2.9 days

Next full moonTue, Nov 24

Next new moonTue, Dec 8

Next first quarterTue, Nov 17

Next last quarterTue, Dec 1

Show phase for

On Thursday, November 12, 2026 the moon is a Waxing Crescent with 10.7% of its face illuminated, 3.4 days into the synodic month (which lasts 29.5 days from new to new). Pick any past or future date above — the calculation works to within a minute back to year 1900 and forward beyond 2100.

Moon phase calendar — November 2026 · Eastern Time

Click any day to see its phase

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Illumination is shown at noon Eastern Time; principal phases are marked on their Eastern date.

The moon is currently a Waxing Crescent with 8% of its visible face lit by the Sun. It is 2.9 days past the most recent new moon and will reach its next major phase (First Quarter) on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.

Principal phase times come from Jean Meeus's algorithm (Astronomical Algorithms, chapter 49) and the illumination percentages from the Astronomy Engine library, so the phases shown are accurate to within a minute. The calendar grid above is in US Eastern Time. Phase computations are valid worldwide; the only difference between hemispheres is the visual orientation of the lit limb, which you can flip with the toggle above.

Next 12 major phases

Phase	Eastern	Central	Mountain	Pacific	UTC
First Quarter	Tue, Nov 17, 6:48 AM	Tue, Nov 17, 5:48 AM	Tue, Nov 17, 4:48 AM	Tue, Nov 17, 3:48 AM	Tue, Nov 17, 11:48
Full Moon	Tue, Nov 24, 9:54 AM	Tue, Nov 24, 8:54 AM	Tue, Nov 24, 7:54 AM	Tue, Nov 24, 6:54 AM	Tue, Nov 24, 14:54
Last Quarter	Tue, Dec 1, 1:09 AM	Tue, Dec 1, 12:09 AM	Mon, Nov 30, 11:09 PM	Mon, Nov 30, 10:09 PM	Tue, Dec 1, 06:09
New Moon	Tue, Dec 8, 7:52 PM	Tue, Dec 8, 6:52 PM	Tue, Dec 8, 5:52 PM	Tue, Dec 8, 4:52 PM	Wed, Dec 9, 00:52
First Quarter	Thu, Dec 17, 12:43 AM	Wed, Dec 16, 11:43 PM	Wed, Dec 16, 10:43 PM	Wed, Dec 16, 9:43 PM	Thu, Dec 17, 05:43
Full Moon	Wed, Dec 23, 8:28 PM	Wed, Dec 23, 7:28 PM	Wed, Dec 23, 6:28 PM	Wed, Dec 23, 5:28 PM	Thu, Dec 24, 01:28
Last Quarter	Wed, Dec 30, 2:00 PM	Wed, Dec 30, 1:00 PM	Wed, Dec 30, 12:00 PM	Wed, Dec 30, 11:00 AM	Wed, Dec 30, 19:00
New Moon	Thu, Jan 7, 3:24 PM	Thu, Jan 7, 2:24 PM	Thu, Jan 7, 1:24 PM	Thu, Jan 7, 12:24 PM	Thu, Jan 7, 20:24
First Quarter	Fri, Jan 15, 3:35 PM	Fri, Jan 15, 2:35 PM	Fri, Jan 15, 1:35 PM	Fri, Jan 15, 12:35 PM	Fri, Jan 15, 20:35
Full Moon	Fri, Jan 22, 7:17 AM	Fri, Jan 22, 6:17 AM	Fri, Jan 22, 5:17 AM	Fri, Jan 22, 4:17 AM	Fri, Jan 22, 12:17
Last Quarter	Fri, Jan 29, 5:56 AM	Fri, Jan 29, 4:56 AM	Fri, Jan 29, 3:56 AM	Fri, Jan 29, 2:56 AM	Fri, Jan 29, 10:56
New Moon	Sat, Feb 6, 10:56 AM	Sat, Feb 6, 9:56 AM	Sat, Feb 6, 8:56 AM	Sat, Feb 6, 7:56 AM	Sat, Feb 6, 15:56

Times are rounded to the nearest minute. Near midnight the date can differ between time zones.

How the moon cycle works

The moon takes about 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes — a synodic month — to complete one cycle from new moon to new moon. During that time it traces a roughly elliptical orbit around Earth while the Earth-moon system together orbits the Sun. From our vantage point on the surface, the changing relative angles between Sun, Earth, and Moon make the lit half of the moon appear to grow and shrink — first as a thin crescent on one side, then a half-disc, then a fat gibbous shape, then full, then back down through the gibbous, quarter, and crescent stages on the other side.

The illumination is always half — the moon, like any sphere lit from one direction, is exactly 50% lit at any instant. What changes is the part of that lit half we can see from Earth. At new moon the lit half faces directly away from us; at full moon it faces directly toward us; at the quarter phases we see half of the lit half (a quarter of the total surface).

The eight traditional phases

The four "quarter" phases (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) are the exact astronomical events used throughout this tool. The four "in-between" names (waxing / waning crescent / gibbous) refer to the rest of the cycle.

Phase	Illumination	What it looks like and what it means
New Moon	0%	Moon between Sun and Earth — dark side faces us. The sky is at its darkest; best for stargazing and Milky Way photography.
Waxing Crescent	1–49%	A thin lit sliver grows on the right (Northern view). The moon sets a few hours after the Sun, visible in the evening sky.
First Quarter	~50%	Right half of the disc is lit (Northern view). The moon rises around noon and sets around midnight — great for daytime visibility.
Waxing Gibbous	51–99%	Most of the disc is lit and growing. The moon dominates the evening sky and stays up most of the night.
Full Moon	100%	Moon opposite the Sun in our sky. Rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, dominates the entire night. Spring tides (the largest tidal range), as at new moon.
Waning Gibbous	99–51%	Most of the disc is lit but shrinking. The moon rises a few hours after sunset and is high overhead before dawn.
Last Quarter	~50%	Left half is lit (Northern view). The moon rises around midnight and is high in the south at sunrise.
Waning Crescent	49–1%	A thin lit sliver on the left, shrinking. Visible only in the pre-dawn eastern sky. The "old moon".

How to use the calendar

Read tonight’s phase from the hero. The top card shows the moon as it appears right now, with its phase name (e.g. Waxing Gibbous), the percent of its face that is illuminated, and how many days have passed since the most recent new moon. The four "next" rows tell you when the upcoming new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter moons fall.
Switch hemisphere if you are south of the equator. Northern and southern observers see the moon’s lit limb on opposite sides. Use the Northern / Southern toggle to flip the orientation — the math is the same, only the picture flips. Default is Northern; pick Southern if you’re in Australia, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, etc.
Pick any date to see its phase. The date picker accepts any day. The card directly below it shows the moon as it appeared (or will appear) on that date — phase name, illumination, and moon age. The calendar grid jumps to that month so you can scan the whole lunation around the date.
Click days in the calendar grid. Every day has a mini-moon icon and an illumination percentage. Click any cell to select it (the cell turns green); use the ‹ • › buttons to step months. Days outside the current month are dimmed but still clickable.
Read the next-12-phases table. Underneath the calendar, a chronological table lists the next twelve major phases (roughly three lunar cycles ahead). Each row gives the phase name, the date and time in your local time zone, and how many days from now the phase falls. Useful for planning night photography, dark-sky stargazing, or full-moon hikes.

What people use the Moon Phase Calendar for

Six common use cases.

Planning night photography around the new moon

Astrophotographers, Milky Way shooters, and meteor-shower watchers want the moon out of the sky — or at least a thin crescent. The Moon Phase Calendar shows the next new moon at a glance, and the calendar grid lets you scan the surrounding nights to see which evenings still have less than 10% illumination. Aim for a 3–5-day window centred on the new moon.

Picking the next full moon for a hike or beach walk

Full-moon hikes are a tradition — bright enough to walk without a headlamp, low-angle light on the landscape. The Next 12 Phases table tells you exactly when the next full moon falls, in your local time. The full moon also produces the highest tides of the month, useful for tide-pool walks and coastal photography.

Cross-checking traditional moon-based dates

Ramadan begins at the sighting of the new crescent moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Passover begins at sunset on the 15th day of Nisan — a full moon. The calendar lets you confirm exactly when the relevant new or full moon falls in any year past or future.

Gardening by the moon (biodynamic / lunar calendar)

Lunar-calendar gardening traditions plant root crops in the waning moon and above-ground crops in the waxing. Whether or not the practice has measurable yield benefits, many growers swear by it — and this tool gives an unambiguous answer to "is the moon waxing or waning this week?".

Astronomy education and homework

Students often need the moon phase for a specific date — a birthday, a historical event, a teaching schedule. The date picker handles any year from 1900 onward (and well beyond 2100) with one-minute precision. The calendar grid is also a great visual aid for showing how a full lunation builds from new to full to new again.

Tide and fishing planning

Spring tides (the largest tidal swings) happen near new and full moons, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align. Neap tides (smallest swings) happen near the quarters. Anglers and surfers use the phase table to plan trips around the biggest tidal pulls of the month.

Astronomical constants used

Every value displayed in the calendar derives from a small set of astronomical constants and formulae. The numbers below are the basis of every phase, date, and illumination shown.

Quantity	Value	Source
Synodic month (new to new)	29 days 12 h 44 min (29.5306 days)	IAU mean value
Sidereal month (relative to stars)	27 days 7 h 43 min (27.3217 days)	IAU mean value
Average Earth–Moon distance	384,400 km / 238,855 mi	NASA / IAU
Moon mean radius	1,737.4 km / 1,079.6 mi	NASA Lunar Fact Sheet
Mean orbital speed	1.022 km/s (~3,680 km/h)	NASA
Tilt of moon’s orbit to ecliptic	5.145°	IAU
Apparent angular size from Earth	~0.5° (similar to the Sun)	Observed
Full lunation phase formula	fraction = (1 − cos(2π · phase)) / 2	Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms

Why the moon flips between hemispheres

The moon’s lit limb is on the right when waxing (and on the left when waning) — for an observer in the Northern Hemisphere. Cross the equator and the picture flips: Southern observers see the lit limb on the opposite side at every phase. The reason is purely geometric: a Southern observer is, in effect, "upside down" relative to a Northern one, so the same physical lighting on the moon looks rotated 180°. Near the equator the terminator (the day-night line on the moon) appears almost horizontal, producing the "wet-moon" smile shape. Use the toggle in the tool above to flip the orientation; the math behind the phase is identical worldwide — only the picture rotates.

Related lunar and solar tools

For the moon's position in the sky from a specific location (azimuth, altitude, moonrise, moonset, sublunar point): Moon Position Map. For the live day/night terminator showing where the Sun is currently up: Day Night Map. For sunrise, sunset, and twilight at any location and date: Sunrise & Sunset Calculator. For the Sun's position at a specific time (solar azimuth, elevation, shadow direction): Sun Position Calculator. To compare clock times across multiple cities: Time Difference Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

The hero panel at the top of this page shows the moon as it appears tonight — phase name (New, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, etc.), the percent of the moon’s face that is illuminated, and how many days the moon is past its most recent new phase. The number updates every minute.

Next full moon: Tue, Nov 24, 9:54 AM Eastern Time (Tue, Nov 24, 14:54 UTC). The table below lists the next 12 phases in US time zones.

The principal phase times (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) use Jean Meeus’s algorithm from Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd edition, chapter 49. The illuminated fraction — the percent of the disc that is lit — comes from Astronomy Engine. The phase value is the position of the moon along its synodic cycle (0 = new, 0.25 = first quarter, 0.5 = full, 0.75 = last quarter).

The synodic month — one full cycle from new moon to new moon — averages 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes (29.5306 days). Individual cycles can be up to ~6 hours longer or shorter than average because the moon’s orbit is elliptical and the Earth-moon system orbits the Sun. The sidereal month (the moon’s rotation relative to the fixed stars) is shorter at 27.3 days.

The moon is half-lit by the Sun at all times — but the half we see lit changes as the moon orbits Earth. When the moon is waxing (growing) we see the lit limb on the right (in the Northern Hemisphere); when it is waning (shrinking) the lit limb is on the left. At first quarter the right half is lit; at last quarter the left half is lit. From the Southern Hemisphere everything is flipped — the lit limb is on the opposite side, because you are observing the same moon from "upside down". Use the hemisphere toggle above to see your perspective.

Yes — at low latitudes the moon’s terminator (the day-night line) appears nearly horizontal, so the lit area looks like a "smile" or "frown" rather than a left/right crescent. Sailors and tropical observers call this the "wet moon" because the crescent looks like a bowl. The tool here defaults to the Northern Hemisphere vertical orientation; the math is identical, only the visual rotation differs.

Phase times use Jean Meeus’s algorithm (Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd edition, chapter 49) and fall within a minute of the U.S. Naval Observatory’s published times for all 50 phases of 2026. Illumination comes from Astronomy Engine.

The underlying algorithm works for any Julian date in principle. In practice the displayed dates are well behaved from roughly year 1700 to year 2300. For deep history (eclipses observed by ancient astronomers) the result is correct to about a day; for the modern era it is correct to within a minute.

The phase is what the moon looks like — how much of its disc is illuminated. The position is where it is in the sky from a specific location — its altitude (angle above the horizon) and azimuth (compass direction). The phase is the same for everyone on Earth at the same instant. The position depends on where you stand and the time. For the moon’s position from a specific point, see our Moon Position Map.

A blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month (a slightly contested definition; the older meaning was the third full moon in a season with four). It happens because the synodic month (29.5 days) is shorter than most calendar months (30–31 days), so occasionally a month catches two full moons. A supermoon is a full moon that occurs near perigee — the point in the moon’s elliptical orbit closest to Earth — making it appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than at apogee.

Strongly. The Sun, Earth, and Moon align at new moon (Sun and Moon both pulling in the same direction) and at full moon (pulling in opposite directions but still along the same axis). This produces spring tides — the largest tidal swings of the month, typically a day or two after the new or full moon. At first and last quarter the Sun and Moon pull at right angles, producing neap tides — the smallest swings.

Waxing comes from the Old English weaxan, "to grow", and refers to the moon’s illuminated area growing from new toward full. Waning comes from wanian, "to lessen", and refers to the illuminated area shrinking from full toward new. The four "quarter" names (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) mark the four 90° divisions of the synodic month.

Data sources & methodology

Principal phase times (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) use Jean Meeus's algorithm from Astronomical Algorithms (2nd ed., chapter 49) and fall within a minute of the U.S. Naval Observatory's published times for all 50 phases of 2026. Illumination — the percent of the disc that is lit — comes from Astronomy Engine. Moon constants (radius, mean distance, sidereal and synodic month lengths): NASA Lunar Fact Sheet and IAU recommended values. SVG moon rendering uses the standard arc-plus-ellipse approach — a half-disc bordered by an elliptical terminator whose horizontal axis equals R · |cos(2π · phase)|. The Next 12 Major Phases table and the calendar grid are rendered on the server in US time zones and refresh every 10 minutes.

More SimpleMapLab tools

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Day Night Map

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Sunrise, sunset, twilight, and golden-hour times for any location and date.

Sun Position Calculator

Solar azimuth, elevation, and shadow direction at any moment.