Moon Phase Today & Monthly Moon Calendar
Today's moon phase drawn to scale — the lit part of the disc matches the real illuminated fraction, on the correct side for the northern hemisphere. Below it: moonrise and moonset for your location, a month calendar with every day's phase, and the dates of the next new moon, quarters, and full moon. Everything is computed in your browser from astronomical formulas, so it works offline once the page loads.
Private by design. Phases and rise/set times are computed in your browser — your location is never uploaded, and the tool works without it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What moon phase is it today?
- The disc at the top of this page answers that for the moment you loaded it, with the phase name, the percentage of the disc that is lit, and how many days it has been since the new moon.
- How are the eight phase names decided?
- The lunar cycle runs 0 to 1, with 0 = new, 0.25 = first quarter, 0.5 = full, and 0.75 = last quarter. Each named phase owns one eighth of that cycle, so the boundaries fall halfway between the exact points: 0.0625, 0.1875, 0.3125, 0.4375, 0.5625, 0.6875, 0.8125, and 0.9375.
- What is the difference between phase and illumination?
- Illumination is how much of the disc is lit — it rises from 0% to 100% and back. Phase says where you are in the cycle, which is what separates a 50%-lit first quarter from a 50%-lit last quarter. The waxing half is lit on the right; the waning half is lit on the left.
- Why does the same phase land earlier each month?
- The moon's cycle averages 29.53 days, shorter than most calendar months. The phase drifts about two days earlier each month, and occasionally two full moons fall in one calendar month — the "blue moon".
- Do I have to share my location?
- No. The phase, illumination, calendar, and key-phase dates are identical everywhere on Earth and need no location at all. Location is only used to compute moonrise and moonset, and you can type a city instead of granting permission.
- How accurate are the times?
- Phase moments are computed from standard astronomical formulas and land within a few minutes of published ephemerides — the total lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026, for instance, is reproduced to within two hours of the exact full moon. Moonrise and moonset assume a flat horizon at sea level, so mountains or tall buildings will shift what you actually see by a few minutes.
How to check tonight's moon phase
- Read today's phase. The disc at the top shows the current phase with its name, illumination percentage, and the moon's age in days since the last new moon.
- Set your location. Search for a city or tap "Use my location" to get moonrise and moonset times. The phase itself is identical worldwide — only rise and set times depend on where you are.
- Browse the calendar. The month grid draws each day's phase at local noon. Step up to 24 months backward or forward to plan around a full moon or a dark new-moon sky.
- Check the next key phases. The four cards list the next new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter with the exact date and time in your selected location's time zone.
FreeNo sign-upRuns in your browserUtilitiesApplication
Use Cases
- Check tonight's moon phase and illumination before a photo shoot
- Find the next full moon or new moon date
- Plan astrophotography or stargazing around a dark new-moon sky
- Look up moonrise and moonset times for your city
- Pick a full-moon weekend for a hike, camping trip, or event