Moon Phases

New Moon First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter

Waxing Crescent Moon

1st Quarter Moon, Full Moon, Last Quarter, New Moon

Waxing Gibbous Moon

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous Moon

Last Quarter Moon, New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon

Waning Crescent Moon

New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter

First Quarter shines on right; Last Quarter shines on left

Last quarter is also known as the third or final quarter.

The lunar phase or Moon phase is the apparent shape of the Moon’s directly sunlit portion as viewed from Earth. The lunar phases gradually change over a synodic month (about 29.53 days) as the Moon’s orbital positions around Earth and Earth around the Sun shift, which changes the pattern of sunlight that reflects on the moon back to earth, during night or day. The visible side of the moon is variously sunlit, depending on the position of the Moon in its orbit. The face of the moon that is sunlit can vary from 0% (at new moon) to 100% (at full moon). Each of the four “intermediate” lunar phases is approximately 7.4 days, with slight variation due to the Moon’s orbit’s elliptical shape. When the dark portion of the moon is visible, the light is earthshine that is reflecting sunlight off the the earth to the moon and back to earth. It is very difficult to ever see the New Moon phase because it is closely aligned with the bright light of the sun.

Moon Phases in Northern Hemisphere
(Crescent, Quarter, and Gibbous phases are opposite side in southern hemisphere)

New Moon

Disc completely in Sun’s shadow (lit by earthshine only)
Visibility: Considered invisible (too close to Sun)
Average Moonrise 6 am
Average Highpoint Noon
Average Moonset 6 pm

Waxing crescent

Right side illumination increases to First Quarter
Visibility: Late morning to post-dusk
Average Moonrise 9 am
Average Highpoint 3 pm
Average Moonset 9 pm

First quarter

Right side, 50% lit disc
Visibility: Afternoon and early evening
Average Moonrise Noon
Average Highpoint 6 pm
Average Moonset Midnight

Waxing Gibbous

Right side illumination decreases to Full Moon
Visibility: Late afternoon and most of night
Average Moonrise 3 pm
Average Highpoint 9 pm
Average Moonset 3 am

Full Moon

100% illuminated disc
Visibility: Sunset to sunrise (all night)
Average Moonrises 6 pm
Average highpoint Midnight
Average Moonset 6 am

Waning Gibbous

Left side illumination decreases to Last Quarter
Visibility: Most of night and early morning
Average Moonrise 9 pm
Average Highpoint 3 am
Average Moonset 9 am

Last Quarter

Left side, 50% lit disc
Visibility: Late night and morning
Average Moonrise Midnight
Average Highpoint 6 am
Average Moonset Noon

Waning Crescent

Left side illumination decreases to New Moon (0%)
Visibility: Pre-dawn to early afternoon
Average Moonrise: 3 am
Average Highpoint 9 am
Average Moonset 3 pm