Moon calendar
Tonight's phase, worked out from the real positions of the Sun and Moon, plus what each of the eight phases has traditionally been read as.
Tonight
Waning Gibbous
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Day 20.7 of the cycle · 67% lit
Next full moon: October 26, 2026, 6:12 AM · Next new moon: November 9, 2026, 9:02 AM
The eight phases
One full cycle takes about 29.5 days, and the tradition gives each stage a different job.
Why the Moon Has Phases
The Moon does not make its own light. It reflects sunlight, and as it circles the Earth about once a month, we see different amounts of its sunlit half. At the new moon it sits roughly between us and the Sun, so the lit side faces away. A week or so later we see half of the lit side, then all of it at the full moon, when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun, and then the light shrinks back to nothing.
The time from one new moon to the next is about 29.5 days, called the synodic month. It is slightly longer than the 27.3 days the Moon takes to orbit the Earth once against the stars, because while the Moon orbits, the Earth is also moving around the Sun and the Moon has to catch up to the same alignment.
How This Page Gets Tonight's Phase
The phase and lit percentage at the top of the page are calculated from the Sun's and Moon's actual positions, and the next new and full moons come from a published algorithm for true phase times, not an averaged guess. That is why the times listed can differ from a simple "every 29.5 days" count by several hours.
Waxing and Waning, in Astrology
Traditionally, the waxing half of the cycle (new moon to full) is associated with building, starting and growing, and the waning half (full to new) with releasing, finishing and resting. Many people use the rhythm as a gentle planning device: set an intention at the new moon, check in at the quarter, celebrate or assess at the full moon, and clear out as the light fades.
There is no scientific evidence that moon phases influence behavior, sleep, health or events in any reliable way. As a prompt for regular reflection, though, a four-week rhythm is hard to beat: it is visible to everyone and needs no equipment.
Moon Phase Versus Moon Sign
The Moon is also always in one of the twelve zodiac signs, and it changes sign every two to three days. Astrologers who track it say that the sign colors the mood of the day: a Moon in Taurus is said to favor comfort and routine, a Moon in Gemini chat and variety. The phase and the sign work on different clocks, which is why a full moon in Leo feels different from a full moon in Pisces.