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Moon Phase

The Moon Phase Calculator shows the current phase of the moon and lets you look up the moon phase for any date in history or the future. See whether the moon is new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, or waning crescent — and find out when the next full moon or new moon will occur.

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About the Moon Phase Calculator

The Moon Phase Calculator shows the current phase of the moon and lets you look up the moon phase for any date in history or the future. See whether the moon is new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, or waning crescent — and find out when the next full moon or new moon will occur.

How to use it

  1. The current moon phase is displayed automatically for today.
  2. Enter any date to see the moon phase for that specific day.
  3. View the illumination percentage and days since new moon.
  4. See upcoming full moon and new moon dates.

Formula & methodology

Lunar cycle = 29.53059 days (synodic period). Days since known new moon: (date - reference_new_moon) mod 29.53059. Phase: 0-1.85 = new moon, 1.85-7.38 = waxing crescent, 7.38-11.07 = first quarter, 11.07-14.77 = waxing gibbous, 14.77-16.61 = full moon, 16.61-22.15 = waning gibbous, 22.15-25.84 = last quarter, 25.84-29.53 = waning crescent. Illumination: cos-based formula from phase angle.

Common use cases

  • Planning photography shoots for full moon landscape photos
  • Gardening: planting by moon phase (biodynamic farming)
  • Fishing and hunting: some believe lunar phases affect activity
  • Spiritual and ritual practices aligned with lunar cycles
  • Finding the moon phase on a specific birthday or historical date

Frequently asked questions

Despite the popular belief ("lunar effect"), large-scale scientific studies have found no reliable correlation between full moons and human behavior, hospital admissions, crime rates, or mental health incidents. The moon does have measurable gravitational effects on tides, but the moon's gravitational pull on individual humans is far less than the gravitational effect of a nearby building. The belief likely persists due to confirmation bias.
Full moons occur approximately every 29.5 days. The calculator computes the next full moon from today based on the lunar cycle algorithm. Full moons have traditional names: January (Wolf Moon), February (Snow Moon), March (Worm Moon), April (Pink Moon), May (Flower Moon), June (Strawberry Moon), July (Buck Moon), August (Sturgeon Moon), September (Harvest Moon), October (Hunter's Moon), November (Beaver Moon), December (Cold Moon).

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