Phases of the Moon
Moon phase today
Today, November 3, 2026, the Moon is in its waning crescent phase, 32% lit, on day 24 of the lunar cycle.
- 🌘 Waning crescent
- 32% illuminated
- Moon in Virgo
The 8 phases of the Moon in order
-
New moon
The Moon sits between Earth and the Sun with its unlit side toward us; it is invisible, and a new lunar cycle begins.
-
Waxing crescent
A thin sliver of light, on the right as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, that grows a little each evening after sunset.
-
First quarter
Half of the disk is lit about a week after the new moon; the Moon is up in the afternoon and evening.
-
Waxing gibbous
More than half lit and filling out toward the full moon; it dominates the late-evening sky.
-
Full moon
The whole disk is lit; the Moon rises around sunset and shines all night.
-
Waning gibbous
After the full moon, the lit part shrinks from the right side (Northern Hemisphere); the Moon rises later each evening.
-
Last quarter
Half lit again, three weeks into the cycle; the Moon rises around midnight and is up through the morning.
-
Waning crescent · today
A thin sliver on the left side (Northern Hemisphere) before dawn, shrinking toward the new moon.
Waxing or waning: In the Northern Hemisphere a waxing crescent looks like the curve of a D and a waning crescent like a C; south of the equator it is the other way around.
Next principal phases
| Phase | Date and time (UTC) | Sign | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌑 New moon | Scorpio | day | |
| 🌓 First quarter | Aquarius | day | |
| 🌕 Full moon | Gemini | day | |
| 🌗 Last quarter | Virgo | day | |
| 🌑 New moon | Sagittarius | day | |
| 🌓 First quarter | Pisces | day | |
| 🌕 Full moon | Cancer | day | |
| 🌗 Last quarter | Libra | day |
Moon phase calendar November 2026
| Phase | Date and time (UTC) | Sign |
|---|---|---|
| 🌗 Last quarter | Leo | |
| 🌑 New moon | Scorpio | |
| 🌓 First quarter | Aquarius | |
| 🌕 Full moon | Gemini |
Every day of the month with its phase and illumination: lunar calendar November 2026; the whole year in one table: lunar calendar 2026. Exact times of every full moon are on the full moon page and of every new moon on the new moon page.
What causes the phases of the Moon
The Moon makes no light of its own; it reflects sunlight. Half of it is always lit, and the phases are simply how much of that lit half we see as the Moon travels around Earth. At the new moon the Moon sits between us and the Sun, and the lit half faces away. A week later, at the first quarter, we see half of it. At the full moon the Moon is on the far side of Earth from the Sun, and the whole lit half faces us. Then the view shrinks again through the last quarter to the next new moon. Earth’s shadow plays no part in the ordinary phases; it only comes into play during a lunar eclipse.
How long the cycle takes
One full cycle of phases, from new moon to new moon, averages 29.53 days: the synodic month. It is longer than the 27.3 days the Moon needs for one orbit, because Earth moves along its own orbit in the meantime and the Moon has to travel a little farther to line up with the Sun again. The four principal phases—new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter—are exact moments, listed with their times above; on the daily pages each takes the day it falls on, and the four phases between them last about six and a half days each.
Waxing or waning
Waxing means growing; waning means shrinking. From the new moon to the full moon the Moon is waxing; from the full moon to the next new moon it is waning. In the Northern Hemisphere the lit side is on the right while the Moon is waxing and on the left while it is waning. A simple memory aid: A waxing crescent looks like the curve of a D, a waning crescent like a C. South of the equator the picture is mirrored, so the aid flips too.
Crescent, half moon, and gibbous
A crescent is less than half lit, a slim curve near the new moon. A half moon is the everyday name for the first and last quarter, when exactly half the disk is lit. Gibbous, from the Latin word for hump, is the bulging shape between a half moon and a full moon, more than half lit but not quite round. Each has a waxing and a waning version, which is how the eight phases come about.
Phases in lunar tradition
Lunar tradition builds on the waxing and waning rhythm: The waxing Moon stands for growth and taking in, the waning Moon for harvest, cleansing, and rest. In the garden that means sowing above-ground crops while the Moon waxes, and root crops, transplanting, and pruning while it wanes; for hair it means a cut that grows back fast under a waxing Moon and one that holds its shape under a waning Moon. The planting calendar and the hair calendar turn these rules into dates.
Frequently asked questions
What are all 8 phases of the Moon in order?
In order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter (also called third quarter), and waning crescent. Then the cycle starts again with the next new moon, 29.53 days after the last one.
What moon phase is this today?
Today, November 3, 2026, the Moon is in its waning crescent phase, with 32% of its disk lit, on day 24 of the lunar cycle. The next principal phase is the new moon on November 9, 2026, at 7:02 AM UTC.
What is the most powerful moon phase?
No phase is stronger than another; the Moon is the same body all month, and only the angle of sunlight changes. The full moon is the brightest and the new moon the darkest, and the tides run highest around both. Lunar traditions give each phase a role, growth under the waxing Moon and rest under the waning Moon, but those are traditions, not forces.
How long does each moon phase last?
The four principal phases—new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter—are exact moments about 7.4 days apart, and a calendar gives each of them the day it falls on. The four phases between them, the crescents and the gibbous phases, fill the days in between, about six and a half days each, and the whole cycle of eight phases takes 29.53 days.
What causes the phases of the Moon?
The Moon reflects sunlight, and half of it is always lit. As the Moon orbits Earth, we see that lit half from changing angles: none of it at the new moon, all of it at the full moon, and half of it at the quarters. Earth’s shadow plays no part except during a lunar eclipse.