How it works
Each day shows the Moon as it looks at about 9 pm, with the share of its disk that is lit. The four main phases are marked with their exact time in your own time zone.
The drawing shows the view from the Northern Hemisphere, where a waxing Moon is lit on the right. From the Southern Hemisphere the picture is flipped, but the phase and the lit percentage are the same everywhere.
Plan dark-sky trips around new Moon. The days around first quarter are the best for seeing craters along the line between light and dark.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Your location is used only on this page and is never sent to us. Sky positions are calculated with Astronomy Engine (Don Cross, MIT license).
Moon phasesWhy the Moon changes shape over a month, and which phases are best for observing.
The MoonEarth's rocky companion, born from a giant impact and covered in craters and lava plains.
Solar and lunar eclipsesHow the Sun, Moon and Earth line up to cast shadows, and how to watch eclipses safely.
Tides and the MoonHow the Moon and Sun stretch Earth's oceans, and why the Moon is drifting away.