The 8 phases of the Moon
The Moon passes through eight phases in a cycle of about 29.5 days: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. The phase is the share of the Moon's sunlit half that faces the Earth, and it changes because the Moon moves around us while the Sun lights half of it.
Moon phase on any date
Pick today, a birthday or any date between 1800 and 2099.
The eight phases in order
1. New Moon
0° from the Sun · About 0% lit
What you see. The Moon is not visible at all. It sits in the same direction as the Sun, so the side facing us is the unlit one, and it rises and sets with the Sun.
The science. Astronomers define the New Moon as the instant the Moon and Sun share the same ecliptic longitude. It is also the only phase at which a solar eclipse can happen.
Traditionally. Beginnings, the blank page and the dark before something starts. Most traditions treat it as a time for quiet intentions rather than public announcements.
What would you start if nobody were watching the first attempt?
2. Waxing Crescent
Between 0° and 90° from the Sun · About 1 to 49% lit
What you see. A thin sliver appears low in the western sky after sunset and thickens night by night. In the northern hemisphere the lit edge is on the right.
The science. The Moon has moved east of the Sun, so a growing slice of the lit half comes into view. The faint glow on the dark part is earthshine, sunlight reflected off the Earth.
Traditionally. Tentative growth. Traditions associate it with the first steps after an intention is set: gathering information, taking small, easy actions.
Which small step could you take this week that you could repeat?
3. First Quarter
90° from the Sun · About 50% lit
What you see. Half the visible disc is lit, and it stands high in the sky at sunset, setting around midnight. The right half is bright in the northern hemisphere.
The science. Called a quarter because the Moon is a quarter of the way around its orbit from the new Moon, not because a quarter is lit. The Sun and Moon are at a right angle as seen from Earth.
Traditionally. A turning point, often tied to decisions and obstacles. Astrologers have long associated the square it forms between Sun and Moon with tension that asks for action.
What has become harder than you expected, and is it worth the effort?
4. Waxing Gibbous
Between 90° and 180° from the Sun · About 51 to 99% lit
What you see. More than half the disc is lit and it is visibly swelling. It rises in the afternoon and is up for most of the evening, with a still-visible dark crescent on the left edge.
The science. The name comes from the Latin for hump-backed. The Moon is between a quarter and a half of its orbit past new, and the lit share grows each night by a varying amount, from almost nothing near the quarter to about 12 percent of the disc at its fastest, averaging roughly 7.
Traditionally. Refinement and patience. It is the stretch before the culmination, traditionally associated with adjusting, polishing and waiting for results.
What is nearly finished, and what is it waiting for?
5. Full Moon
180° from the Sun · About 100% lit
What you see. The whole disc is lit. It rises at about sunset, crosses the sky all night and sets around sunrise, which makes it the brightest object in the night sky.
The science. The Moon is directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth, so the face we see is entirely sunlit. It is the only phase in which a lunar eclipse is possible.
Traditionally. Culmination, visibility and release. Across many traditions the full Moon is a time of heightened emotion, when what was begun at the new Moon comes to light.
What has come to a head, and what are you ready to put down?
6. Waning Gibbous
Between 180° and 270° from the Sun · About 99 to 51% lit
What you see. Just past full, the lit side shrinks from the right. It rises after sunset, later each night, and is still up after dawn. The left edge is lit in the northern hemisphere.
The science. The Moon has passed opposition and is heading back toward the Sun. It rises about 50 minutes later each day, because the Moon moves eastward along its path.
Traditionally. Gratitude, sharing and teaching. Traditions pair the weeks after the full Moon with passing on what you learned.
What did the last two weeks teach you, and who could use it?
7. Last Quarter
270° from the Sun · About 50% lit
What you see. Half the disc is lit again, now on the left in the northern hemisphere. It rises around midnight and is high in the sky at dawn, which makes it easy to miss.
The science. Also called the third quarter. The Moon is three quarters of the way around its orbit, again at a right angle to the Sun, this time on the opposite side from the first quarter.
Traditionally. Release and reassessment. It is associated with letting go of what has not worked and with forgiving, mending or closing a chapter.
What are you still carrying that no longer does anything for you?
8. Waning Crescent
Between 270° and 360° from the Sun · About 49 to 1% lit
What you see. A thin crescent in the eastern sky before dawn, shrinking each morning until it disappears. The lit edge is on the left in the northern hemisphere.
The science. The Moon is approaching the Sun again from the west. In the last day or two it is lost in the Sun's glare, and the cycle of about 29.5 days starts over.
Traditionally. Rest, surrender and the quiet before a new start. Traditions treat these last nights as a time for sleep, stillness and clearing space.
What would it take to rest properly before the next cycle?
Exact dates for the two best-known phases: full moon dates and names and new moon dates by sign.
Why the Moon has phases
The Moon always has one half lit by the Sun, exactly as the Earth does. What changes is how much of that lit half we can see. At new moon the lit side faces away from us. As the Moon travels eastward around its orbit the visible lit portion grows (waxing) to a full disc at full moon, then shrinks (waning) back to nothing.
A common misunderstanding is that the phases are caused by the Earth's shadow. They are not. The Earth's shadow falls on the Moon only during a lunar eclipse, which can happen only at a full moon. The phases are a matter of viewing angle.
The phase also depends on where you are. In the northern hemisphere the waxing Moon is lit on the right and the waning Moon on the left. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way round, and in the tropics the crescent can look like a bowl or a boat lying on its back.
How long is a lunar cycle?
The cycle from one new moon to the next, the synodic month, averages 29.53 days but varies by several hours, because the Moon's orbit is not circular and the Earth is moving around the Sun. That is why no calendar can show phase dates by simple counting, and why the dates on this site are calculated from the actual positions of the Moon and the Sun.
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. Waxing means growing, waning means shrinking, and the cycle repeats about every 29.5 days.
What is the difference between waxing and waning?
A waxing Moon is growing toward full, with the lit part increasing each night. A waning Moon is shrinking toward new. In the northern hemisphere the waxing Moon is lit on the right and the waning Moon on the left.
Why is the first quarter Moon half lit if it is called a quarter?
Quarter refers to the position in the orbit: the Moon is a quarter of the way around its path from the new moon. From Earth we see half the lit hemisphere, so half the disc looks bright.
How do I find the moon phase on my birthday?
Enter the date in the calculator above. It gives the phase, the approximate percentage lit and the age in days since the new moon, for your calendar day (a day that contains the exact moment of a new, quarter or full moon is labelled with that phase). Astrologers sometimes read a birth moon phase as a symbolic character note, which is a traditional idea and not an established finding.
Does the moon phase affect people?
Cultural beliefs about it are old and strong, but studies of sleep, mood, crime and hospital admissions have mostly found no reliable link. The phases are best treated as a calendar and a symbol.
How accurate is the calculator?
It uses the same Moon and Sun series as the dates on our full moon and new moon pages. The phase on a given day is correct, and the percentage lit is within a point or two. Exact phase moments are only published for 2005 to 2050.
Keep going
Moon sign calculator · Lunar calendar by month · Eclipses · Birth chart calculator · The 12 astrological houses · Talk to an astrologer about your chart