0km across
Size & mass
3 474 km across, 27% of the Earth's diameter, but only 1.2% of its mass: you would weigh about one sixth as much there (16.6%).
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Complete GuideThe Phases IssueSeen from 41.39° N 2.17° E, Barcelona · Mission control
MoonPhases
View from above the ecliptic · distances logarithmic · sizes not to scale
Simulation clocktoday
— UTC
03 / 09 · Terrestrial planet1.000 AU
Earth
- From the Sun
- 149.6 million km8.3 light-minutes
- From Earth now
- Moon: 384 400 km1.3 light-seconds
- Year
- 365 days
- Day
- 23 h 56 min
- Diameter
- 12,756 km
- Moons
- 1
- Orbital speed
- 29.8 km/s
Sunlight takes 8 minutes 19 seconds to get here. Moonlight, 1.3 seconds.
05 / 08Full Moon100%
1 s1 min1 h1 day1 year1 000 y1 MyMoon1.3 light-secondsSun8.3 light-minutesJupiter43 light-minutesNeptune4.2 light-hoursVoyager 11 light-day, 18 Nov 2026Proxima Centauri4.24 light-yearsGalactic centre≈ 26 000 light-yearsAndromeda2.5 million light-years
A complete guide to the 8 lunar phases — with live tracker and fashion inspired by each phase
See Today's Moon Phase →01 / OverviewOne synodic month
Understanding
the Lunar
Cycle
The lunar cycle lasts 29.53 days — from one new moon to the next. This period, called a synodic month, is the time it takes for the Moon to complete one orbit around Earth relative to the Sun.
The Moon doesn't produce its own light — it reflects sunlight. The phases we observe are simply different viewing angles of the Sun-lit Moon as it orbits Earth.
Half of the Moon is always lit. The phase is how much of that half faces us.
- 29.53daysSynodic month
New moon to new moon. The Moon has to travel a little more than one orbit to line up with the Sun again, because the Earth has moved along its own orbit meanwhile.
- 27.32daysSidereal month
One true orbit, measured against the stars.
- ≈ 50minLater each day
On average the Moon rises about fifty minutes later than the day before. The gap varies through the year.
- 59%Of the surface, from Earth
The Moon always turns the same face to us, but it rocks slightly as it goes (libration), so over time we see a little round each edge.
- ≈ 12%Of sunlight reflected
Lunar soil is about as dark as worn asphalt. The full moon only looks white against a black sky.
- 384 400kmAverage distance
Between about 356 500 km at the closest and 406 700 km at the farthest, which is why some full moons look a little larger.
02 / Why the Moon has phasesSeen from above the North Pole · not to scale
Always half lit.
Never the same half seen.
ORBIT / 01 RUNNING
New
- Day
- 00.0/ 29.53
- Lit
- 000.0%
- Elongation
- 000°
Half of the Moon is always lit. The phase is how much of that half faces us: none at new, all of it at full, and the lit edge is always the edge nearest the Sun.
03 / The Moon Library · I. The reading roomScroll to play one synodic month
The Complete Cycle
New Moon
- Day of the cycle
- 00.0 / 29.53
- Disc lit
- 0.0%
- Elongation
- 0°
- Tides
- Spring tides
NewFirst qtrFullLast qtrNew
03 / The Moon Library · II. The phase console Live
Eight phases,
on the console.
- PH-01 / 08
New Moon
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%0% across the phaseElongation0°0° from the SunAbove the horizon06:00–18:00Rises sunrise, sets sunsetTide forceSpring tides: Sun and Moon pull in lineEarthshineNone: the lit side faces awayBrightness—apparent magnitude, aboutThe moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun, with its dark side facing us. This marks the beginning of the lunar cycle.
Where Not visible
Scope Nothing to see. The darkest skies of the month for stars and the Milky Way.
Note Look for the thinnest crescent a day or two later, low in the west just after sunset.
New beginnings, fresh starts, setting intentions
- PH-02 / 08
Waxing Crescent
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%1–49% across the phaseElongation0°0–90° from the SunAbove the horizon09:30–21:00Rises mid-morning, sets after sunsetTide forceEasing toward neap tidesEarthshineStrong: the dark part glows ash-grey with light reflected from EarthBrightness−6apparent magnitude, aboutA thin crescent of light appears on the right side, seen from the northern hemisphere. The illuminated portion grows each night.
Where Western sky after sunset
Scope Mare Crisium appears first, a dark oval near the eastern edge.
Note Earthshine is best two to four days after new moon, in twilight.
Growth, momentum, taking action
- PH-03 / 08
First Quarter
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%50% across the phaseElongation0°90° from the SunAbove the horizon12:00–00:00Rises noon, sets midnightTide forceNeap tides: Sun and Moon pull at right anglesEarthshineFadingBrightness−10apparent magnitude, aboutExactly half illuminated. Despite the name, this refers to the moon being one-quarter through its cycle.
Where Noon to midnight
Scope The finest night for a small telescope: long shadows along the terminator, craters in deep relief.
Note Visible in daylight in the afternoon, high in the south (from the north) at sunset.
Decision-making, commitment
- PH-04 / 08
Waxing Gibbous
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%51–99% across the phaseElongation0°90–180° from the SunAbove the horizon15:00–03:00Rises afternoon, sets after midnightTide forceBuilding toward spring tidesEarthshineLost in the glareBrightness−11.5apparent magnitude, aboutMore than half illuminated, growing toward fullness. 'Gibbous' means swollen or convex.
Where Most of the night
Scope Copernicus and Tycho come into the light; the Apennine mountains catch the sunrise.
Note Rises in the afternoon; at its highest in the late evening.
Refinement, patience
- PH-05 / 08
Full Moon
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%100% across the phaseElongation0°180° from the SunAbove the horizon18:00–06:00Rises sunset, sets sunriseTide forceSpring tidesEarthshineNone: the whole face is litBrightness−12.7apparent magnitude, aboutThe entire face is illuminated as Earth sits between the Sun and Moon. Peak luminosity.
Where All night
Scope Flat light and no shadows, but the bright rays of Tycho stretch across a quarter of the disc.
Note It brightens sharply in the last hours before full (the opposition surge). Too bright to see faint stars.
Completion, manifestation, clarity
- PH-06 / 08
Waning Gibbous
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%99–51% across the phaseElongation0°180–270° from the SunAbove the horizon20:30–09:00Rises after sunset, sets mid-morningTide forceEasing toward neap tidesEarthshineLost in the glareBrightness−11.5apparent magnitude, aboutThe illuminated portion begins to decrease after the full moon. Still more than half visible.
Where Most of the night
Scope Shadows return on the other side: the eastern seas sink into night first.
Note Rises an hour or more after sunset; still up in the morning.
Gratitude, sharing wisdom
- PH-07 / 08
Last Quarter
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%50% across the phaseElongation0°270° from the SunAbove the horizon00:00–12:00Rises midnight, sets noonTide forceNeap tidesEarthshineReturningBrightness−10apparent magnitude, aboutHalf illuminated on the left side, seen from the northern hemisphere. Three-quarters of the way through the lunar cycle.
Where Midnight to noon
Scope Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum along the terminator in the morning light.
Note Best after midnight; easy to find in the morning sky, high in the south (from the north).
Letting go, reassessment
- PH-08 / 08
Waning Crescent
○ STANDBYMean age 0.0 dIllumination0%49–1% across the phaseElongation0°270–360° from the SunAbove the horizon04:00–15:00Rises before sunrise, sets mid-afternoonTide forceBuilding toward spring tidesEarthshineStrong again, before dawnBrightness−6apparent magnitude, aboutA thin crescent on the left, shrinking toward the new moon. The final phase before the cycle begins anew.
Where Eastern sky before sunrise
Scope The old crescent, lit on the western limb: Grimaldi, one of the darkest patches on the Moon.
Note Look east in the hour before sunrise. Each morning it rises closer to the Sun.
Rest, surrender, reflection
Ages and angles are mean values; the dial shows typical rise and set for mid-northern latitudes, midnight at the top. Brightness is the apparent magnitude of the whole disc.
03 / The Moon Library · III. The data bankTwelve records · select one
Everything else
about the Moon.
- Range
- — — —km
- Light time
- —.———s
- Lit
- ——.—%
- Age
- ——.——d
- Station
- 41.39N 002.17EBCN
04 / Where you standThe same waxing crescent, the same night
One moon,
three skies.
- Northern hemisphere41.39° N, Barcelona
Lit on the right as it grows: a backwards C.
- Near the equator0.35° N, Quito
The crescent lies on its back, like a bowl or a smile.
- Southern hemisphere33.87° S, Sydney
Lit on the left as it grows. The whole Moon is upside down.
05 / Full moon namesAs printed in the Old Farmer's Almanac
Twelve moons,
twelve names.
—
The Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the September equinox, so in some years it takes October's place. A second full moon in one calendar month is called a blue moon.
06 / PrecisionSource / USNO
How Accurate Are
Moon Phase Apps?
Many apps use simplified algorithms that can be off by hours or even days.
Moontians computes every phase on your device with astronomy-engine, which implements the full VSOP87 and ELP lunar series, and checks it against the US Naval Observatory's published table — the same source referenced by NASA and professional astronomers worldwide.
- 01Checked against US Naval Observatory dataAll fifty principal phases of 2026
- 02Accurate to within 1.3 minutesEvery one on the correct UTC date
- 03Computed in real timeNo server, no API key, no network on the way
07 / FAQ7 questions
Questions
& Answers
Q.01How many phases does the moon have?
The moon has 8 named phases: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. Each complete cycle takes approximately 29.53 days.
Q.02What is a waning gibbous moon?
A waning gibbous moon occurs after a full moon, when the illuminated portion is shrinking but still more than half the visible surface. It rises after sunset and is visible in the early morning sky.
Q.03What is the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, casting Earth's shadow on the Moon.
Q.04How long does each moon phase last?
Each of the 8 moon phases lasts approximately 3.7 days. The complete lunar cycle from one new moon to the next takes 29.53 days (a synodic month). Strictly, New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon and Last Quarter are single instants; the names are used for the days either side of them.
Q.05Why do we see different phases of the moon?
Moon phases occur because the Moon orbits Earth while Earth orbits the Sun. As the Moon's position changes relative to the Sun and Earth, we see different portions of its illuminated half.
Q.06Is the moon the same shape everywhere on Earth?
The phase is the same everywhere on the same night, but it looks rotated. From the southern hemisphere the Moon appears upside down compared with the northern view, so a waxing crescent is lit on the left; near the equator the crescent lies on its back, like a bowl.
Q.07Why is there no eclipse every month?
The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5° to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Most months the new or full moon passes a little above or below the line between Sun and Earth, so the shadows miss. Eclipses happen only when a new or full moon falls near one of the two points where the orbits cross.
08 / CollectionExplore Lunar Collections →
Fashion Under
Every Phase
Every Moontians product is mapped to one of the 8 lunar phases. Discover clothing and accessories inspired by the moon's eternal cycle.
Track the moon
in real time.
See the current moon phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset times — all in real time.
“Designed Under Every Phase.”