The 8 phases of the Moon
Every 29.5 days the Moon goes from New Moon through Full Moon and back. Here is what each phase looks like, when it is in the sky and how astrologers read it.
Today: Waning gibbous, 64% illuminated and waning. Live Moon phase · Next full Moon
- New Moon
- Waxing crescent
- First quarter
- Waxing gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Last quarter
- Waning crescent
| Phase | Lit | In the sky | Astrology keyword |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Moon | 0% | Rises and sets with the Sun | beginnings |
| Waxing crescent | 1–49%, growing | Rises mid-morning, sets in the evening after the Sun | intention and effort |
| First quarter | 50% | Rises around noon, highest at sunset, sets around midnight | decision and action |
| Waxing gibbous | 51–99%, growing | Rises mid-afternoon, sets after midnight, before dawn | refinement |
| Full Moon | 100% (about 99.5% or more) | Rises at sunset, sets at sunrise | culmination and awareness |
| Waning gibbous | 99–51%, shrinking | Rises in mid-evening, sets in mid-morning | sharing |
| Last quarter | 50% | Rises around midnight, highest at sunrise, sets around noon | release and reorientation |
| Waning crescent | 49–1%, shrinking | Rises before dawn, sets in the afternoon | rest and vision |
Shapes and rise times are for mid-northern latitudes such as the US and Europe. Times of day are approximate and shift with season and latitude.
Why the Moon has phases
The Sun always lights half of the Moon. Drag the slider or press Play to move the Moon around Earth: on the left, the orbit from above with sunlight coming from the left; on the right, how much of the lit half faces us.
Waxing and waning
From New Moon to Full Moon the lit part grows (waxing); from Full Moon back to New Moon it shrinks (waning). Crescent means less than half lit and gibbous more than half. The four principal phases are instants defined by the Moon’s angle from the Sun: 0° New Moon, 90° first quarter, 180° Full Moon and 270° last quarter. Illumination is not the same thing as that angle: at first quarter the Moon is half lit but only a quarter of the way through its cycle.
In astrology the cycle is read as a story of growth and release, from intention at the New Moon to culmination at the Full Moon. The phase you were born under is said to colour your temperament: find your birthday Moon phase.
Download every Moon phase, 1950–2050
All 4,997 New Moons, first quarters, Full Moons and last quarters from 1950 to 2050, with UTC time to the minute, the Moon’s tropical longitude, sign and degree, Earth–Moon distance and any eclipse. Download CSV (300 KB). Licensed CC BY 4.0; credit Natal Chart Lab. Phase times are computed with Astronomy Engine; see the methodology.
Dates by phase: Full Moon calendar · New Moon calendar · Eclipses
Frequently asked questions
What are the 8 phases of the Moon in order?
New Moon, Waxing crescent, First quarter, Waxing gibbous, Full Moon, Waning gibbous, Last quarter, Waning crescent, then back to New Moon.
How long is the Moon’s cycle?
About 29.5 days from one New Moon to the next (the synodic month). It varies between about 29.3 and 29.8 days because the Moon’s orbit is elliptical.
Why does the Moon have phases?
The Sun always lights half of the Moon. As the Moon orbits Earth we see different amounts of that lit half: none at New Moon, when it is between us and the Sun, and all of it at Full Moon, when it is on the far side of Earth from the Sun.
What phase is the Moon in today?
As of Sat, Oct 31, 2026, 11:04 AM ET it is a waning gibbous, 64% illuminated.
How long does each phase last?
New Moon, first quarter, Full Moon and last quarter are exact instants; we use those names for about half a day either side. Each crescent and gibbous phase fills the six or so days in between.
Do Moon phases look different in the Southern Hemisphere?
The phase is the same everywhere at the same moment, but the Moon appears upside down: a waxing Moon is lit on the left instead of the right.
Astrology is a symbolic and cultural tradition. The planetary positions on this site are calculated with astronomical accuracy; the interpretations describe what astrologers associate with them and are not scientifically validated predictions about personality, relationships or the future.