Moon Phase Calendar
See the Moon’s phase for every day of the month — how much of its face is lit, with the new moon and full moon flagged. Step through any month. Free, no signup.
What a moon phase calendar shows
A moon phase calendar lays out the lunar cycle one day at a time, so you can see at a glance where the Moon is in its monthly rhythm. Each cell above shows a small disc lit to match the real Moon for that date, alongside the percentage of its face that’s illuminated. Today is highlighted, and the month’s new moon and full moon are flagged so the two anchors of the cycle stand out. Use the arrows to step backward or forward through any month you like.
The Moon doesn’t make its own light — it reflects the Sun’s. As it orbits Earth roughly once a month, the angle between the Sun, the Moon, and us keeps changing, so we see a different slice of its lit half each night. That slow shift from dark to fully lit and back is the cycle this calendar tracks, and it’s the oldest clock humans have ever used.
The eight phases of the Moon
One full lunar cycle — new moon to new moon — runs about 29.5 days and passes through eight recognisable phases. Four of them are exact instants (the new moon, both quarters, and the full moon); the other four are the growing and shrinking stretches in between.
- New MoonFresh start. Set the intention, take the first step.
- Waxing CrescentBuild momentum. Protect the new plan from your own doubt.
- First QuarterFirst obstacle hits. Push through, don't bail.
- Waxing GibbousAlmost there. Refine the details, stop adding new things.
- Full MoonPeak intensity. Big feelings — sit on big decisions.
- Waning GibbousGive back. Share what worked, thank who helped.
- Last QuarterCut losses. Forgive, release, clear the clutter.
- Waning CrescentPower down. Rest and reset before the next cycle.
The first half of the cycle — new through full — is waxing: the lit portion grows a little more each night. After the full moon the Moon is waning, its light shrinking back toward dark. Astrologically the waxing half is read as a time to build and reach, the waning half as a time to release and rest.
New moon and full moon, the two anchors
Every cycle hangs from two points. The new moon is when the Moon sits between Earth and the Sun, its lit side turned away from us, so the sky is dark. It’s the quiet, invisible beginning of the cycle — traditionally the moment to set an intention and plant something new. About two weeks later comes the full moon, when Earth is between the Moon and the Sun and the whole face is lit. It’s the peak: the brightest night, the high tide of the cycle, and the point where whatever you started at the new moon tends to come to a head.
On this calendar those two days carry a marker so you can find them without counting. Watching just these two points, month after month, is the simplest way to feel the lunar rhythm — a beat of beginning and culmination that repeats roughly every four weeks.
How to use a moon calendar
- Find the new and full moon first. They’re the flagged days. Treat the new moon as your “start” line and the full moon as the “check-in” two weeks later — a natural fortnightly rhythm to plan around.
- Read the waxing half as build time. From new toward full, the light is growing — a good stretch to launch, push, and gather momentum on whatever you began.
- Read the waning half as wind-down. From full back toward new, ease off. Finish, edit, forgive, declutter, and let yourself rest before the next cycle opens.
- Glance at the disc, not just the date. The little moon in each cell shows you the real shape in the sky that night, so you can step outside and confirm it with your own eyes.
How this calendar is calculated
Each day’s phase comes from the Moon’s age — how many days have passed since the last new moon. We count forward from a known reference new moon and reduce the result by the mean synodic month of 29.530589 days, then convert that age into an illuminated percentage. It’s a lightweight model that runs instantly in your browser with no lookup, and it’s accurate to roughly a day — the true lunar month varies by a few hours around the average, so the exact astronomical instant of a new or full moon can drift slightly from the date shown here. For everyday phase-watching, that’s well within tolerance.
Questions about the moon calendar
What moon phase is it tonight?
This calendar works it out live in your browser, from the date on your device. The header card at the top reads tonight's phase and how much of the Moon's face is lit — and today's cell in the grid below is highlighted so you can see it at a glance.
When is the next full moon?
The full moon of the month you're viewing is flagged in the grid with a bright marker. Use the prev/next arrows to step through the months and find the full moon you're after. A full moon falls when the Moon's lit face is at its fullest, roughly 14.8 days into each lunar cycle.
How accurate is this moon calendar?
It's built from the average lunar cycle — 29.53 days from one new moon to the next — counted forward from a known reference new moon. That keeps it light and instant, with no server lookup. The trade-off is precision: the real lunar month wobbles by a few hours, so a phase date here can land about a day off the exact astronomical instant. For everyday phase-watching that's plenty.
What are the eight phases of the Moon?
In order: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. The four 'cardinal' phases — new, first quarter, full, last quarter — are exact instants; the crescents and gibbous phases are the growing and shrinking stretches between them.
What's the difference between waxing and waning?
Waxing means the lit part of the Moon is growing each night, from new toward full. Waning means it's shrinking, from full back toward new. In the Northern Hemisphere the Moon lights up from the right as it waxes and darkens from the right as it wanes — a handy way to read the sky without a calendar.
