Moon Phase Tonight

The current moon phase with illumination percentage, the dates of the next full and new moon, optional moonrise and moonset for your location, and a 30-day phase calendar — all computed in your browser, no API.

Calculating…
Next full moon
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Next new moon
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100% free, no sign-up Runs in your browser — nothing uploaded Works offline, no API
Moonrise & moonset (optional — pick a location)

The phase and illumination above are the same everywhere on Earth. Pick a location to add tonight's moonrise and moonset.

30-Day Moon Calendar

The phase and illumination for the next 30 days, starting today.

How It Works

Open the page and the current phase is ready — no input needed.

1

Read today's phase

The disc shows the lit side of the moon right now, with the phase name and illumination percentage. Waxing means it is growing toward full; waning means it is shrinking toward new.

2

Plan ahead

See the dates of the next full moon and next new moon, and scroll the 30-day calendar to find a dark-sky night for stargazing or a bright full moon to watch rise.

3

Add your location

Optionally pick a city or use your device location to add tonight's moonrise and moonset. New here? Read how to use this tool, try the Sun Times tool, or learn the moon phases explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the moon phase tonight?
Open this page and it shows the moon phase tonight the instant it loads — the named lunar phase, the percentage of the disc illuminated by the sun, and whether the moon is waxing or waning. The phase holds steady across the whole night, so tonight's moon phase matches the disc shown above right now. Because the moon travels about 12 degrees along its orbit each day, the illuminated fraction shifts only a few percent between tonight and tomorrow night.
What type of moon is it tonight?
The type of moon tonight is whichever of the eight lunar phases the tool names above — a slim crescent phase soon after new moon, a bright gibbous near full, or a fully lit full moon. The illumination percentage shows how far tonight's moon is through the cycle: near 0% at new moon, about 50% at the quarters, and 100% at full. Waxing phases fall in the first half of the roughly 29.5-day cycle and waning phases in the second half.
What is the moon phase today?
This tool shows the current moon phase the moment you open it, along with how much of the moon's disc is lit (its illumination percentage) and whether the moon is waxing (growing toward full) or waning (shrinking toward new). The eight named phases are New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter and Waning Crescent. The full cycle from one new moon to the next takes about 29.5 days. Our explainer on moon phases walks through every stage.
How is the moon phase calculated?
The phase is computed entirely in your browser using standard astronomy formulas (the same maths used by the open-source SunCalc library) — there is no weather or astronomy API involved. The tool calculates the positions of the sun and moon for the current instant, derives the illuminated fraction and the phase angle, and names the phase. Because it is pure maths, the tool works offline once the page has loaded and nothing about your visit is sent to a server. Our note on how the tool calculates the phase walks through the steps.
When is the next full moon and new moon?
The tool scans the phase forward from right now to find the exact dates of the next full moon and the next new moon, and shows how many days away each is. A full moon happens when the moon is opposite the sun and fully lit; a new moon happens when it sits between Earth and the sun and its lit side faces away from us. These alternate roughly every two weeks. Our guide to blue moons and supermoons covers the rarer cases.
What do waxing and waning mean?
Waxing means the lit portion of the moon is growing — it runs from new moon through first quarter to full moon, with the right-hand side lit (in the Northern Hemisphere). Waning means the lit portion is shrinking — from full moon through last quarter back to new, with the left-hand side lit. The tool labels which phase you are in and draws the lit side accordingly.
Do I need to share my location?
No — the moon phase tool does not need your location. The moon phase and illumination percentage are the same everywhere on Earth at a given moment, so they need no location at all. You only need to pick a location if you want the moonrise and moonset times, which do depend on where you are, and that lookup is handled in your browser. Our guide on why tides follow the moon covers the moon's other local effect.

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