Moon Phase Today
See the Moon's current phase, illumination and position in the lunar cycle, calculated from primary phase times published by the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Where is the Moon in its cycle?
A complete cycle from one New Moon to the next takes about 29.53 days. The illumination grows while the Moon is waxing and decreases after Full Moon while it is waning.
Why does the Moon have phases?
Half of the Moon is always illuminated by the Sun. What changes is how much of that illuminated half we can see from Earth as the Moon moves around our planet.
Waxing
Between New Moon and Full Moon, the visible illuminated portion increases each night. This is the waxing half of the lunar cycle.
Full Moon
Near Full Moon, Earth lies approximately between the Sun and Moon, so we see almost the entire sunlit hemisphere.
Waning
After Full Moon, the illuminated portion visible from Earth decreases until the Moon returns to New Moon.
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