The current moon phase for today and tonight is the Waxing Crescent phase. The moon is now 19.4 % visible and is waxing. Today the Moon is 4.3 days old.
The approximate distance from Earth to the Moon is 386,633 and 3.3 days left to the next phase (First Quarter).
Visit also the August 2026 Moon Phase Calendar to see all the daily moon phases for this month.
Current Time: 11.15.
The panel above shows the Moon phase today, together with its illumination, age and distance from Earth, calculated for your own time zone and in UTC. The Moon is somewhere in its 29.5-day cycle between New Moon and Full Moon, and that phase is the same for everyone on Earth — only the exact local time differs.
From here you can look up the Moon phase for any date, open a monthly or yearly moon calendar, count down to the next Full Moon, and find upcoming supermoons, micromoons and eclipses. Everything is computed live from precise astronomical formulas — free, with no sign-up.
Moon Phase Today: Waxing Crescent
Previous Phase: New Moon ()
Moon distance: 386,633 km
Illumination: 19.4 %
Moon age: 4.3 days
Next Phase: First Quarter ()
Moon angle: 0.52
Sun distance: 151,479,772 km
Moon Zodiac Sign: Libra
2026-08-12 – 2026-09-11
| Moon Phase | DATE AND TIME |
DATE AND TIME (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| New Moon | ||
| First Quarter | ||
| Full Moon | ||
| Last Quarter | ||
| New Moon |
This is the first and invisible phase of the Moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing Earth. The New Moon is only directly visible during a solar eclipse.
First Quarter
A week after new moon comes first quarter, when the Moon is a quarter of the way around its orbit. It is also termed a Half Moon. A First Quarter Moon rises around noon and sets around midnight.
Full Moon
At 100% phase illumination, the day side of the Moon is directly pointed at the night side of the Earth and the Moon is full. A Full Moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise and it looks bigger when it is near the horizon.
Last Quarter
The Moon enters the Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) of its orbit at nearly 23 days old. Only half of it appears to be illuminated. You can see this phase at late night and in the early morning (6 am).
No, it doesn’t generate its own light. “Moonlight” is really sunlight that has reflected off of the Moon’s surface. In the same way that the Sun illuminates Earth, the Moon reflects the Sun's light, making it appear bright in our sky.
More Moon FactsIt depends on the time of day. The Moon is very hot in the daytime and very cold at night. The average temperature on the Moon varies from -298 degrees Fahrenheit (-183 degrees Celsius), at night, to 224 degrees Fahrenheit (106 degrees Celsius) during the day.
More Moon FactsNo, the moon has no water and has only a very thin and tenuous atmosphere (called an exosphere) so it cannot trap heat or insulate the surface. So, for example, there is no wind to create weather system. The Moon does, in fact, affect the Earth's climate and weather patterns in several subtle ways.
More Moon FactsAn analysis of moon's mineral composition suggests that the moon is around 4.425 billion years old.
More Moon FactsA supermoon occurs when the Moon's orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full. At such a time, the Moon can look larger and brighter than it normally does - especially when it is seen rising above the horizon. However, it's important to note that the actual difference in size and brightness between a supermoon and an average full moon is not typically dramatic, and may not be noticeable to the naked eye without a direct comparison.
More Moon FactsThere are four major lunar phases: the New Moon, the First Quarter, the Full Moon, and the Last Quarter (also known as the Third or Final Quarter). There are also four minor phases: waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, and waning crescent.
More Moon PhasesYes, everyone sees the same phases of the Moon. People north and south of the equator do see the Moon’s current phase from different angles, though. If you traveled to the other hemisphere, the Moon would be in the same phase as it is at home, but it would appear upside down compared to what you're used to!
More Moon PhasesThe Moon is always half-lit by the sun (except during a lunar eclipse). The side of the Moon facing the Sun appears bright because of reflected sunlight, and the side of the Moon facing away from the Sun is dark. Our perspective on the half-lit Moon changes as the Moon orbits Earth. When the side nearest to us is fully lit, we call this a full Moon. When the far side is fully lit and the near side is dark, we call this a new Moon. When we see other phases, we are looking at the division between lunar night (the dark part) and day (the bright part).
More Moon PhasesThis is the fourth phase of the Moon. The waxing gibbous phase is between a Half Moon and Full Moon and waxing means that the Moon is getting bigger and bigger. This phase of the Moon can be seen from late afternoon and most of the night (from 3 pm to 3 am).
More Moon PhasesThis is the eighth and also the final phase of the Moon. The Moon is nearly back to the point in its orbit where its dayside directly faces the Sun, and all that we see from our perspective is a thin curve. The Wanning Crescent Moon can be seen from pre-dawn to early afternoon.
More Moon PhasesBelievers in the lunar cycle effects on human bodies (including the hair) ascribe a similarly forceful effect of this gravitational field on the bodies of humans and animals. According to their belief system, hair grows stronger, hair care products work better, and the styling is more beautiful if the hair care regimen is scheduled according to the lunar calendar. Conditions during the waxing moon promote hair growth after a haircut. Therefore, you should cut your hair between the new and full moon if you want your hair to grow fast after a haircut.
More Fun FactsIn many languages the Moon is gender neutral, in other languages it’s not. For example, in French, the Moon is feminine (la lune) and in German, the Moon is masculine (der Mond). From a cultural point of view, the Moon is often referred as feminine. For example, in Greek mythology, Selene was the Goddess of the Moon and so the Moon has been known as Selene. In Roman mythology, it was the Goddess Luna, from where we get Lunar cycles from. This would give the moon a female gender.
More Fun FactsA lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned with Earth between the other two, which can happen only on the night of a Full Moon. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon falls entirely within the Earth's umbra.
More Fun FactsNo one. According to international law, no one can lay territorial claim to the Moon or any other celestial body, so a national flag on the Moon is purely symbolic. There are also websites where you can buy a certificate saying you own a plot of land on the Moon, but this isn't worth the paper it is written on.
More Fun FactsMoon dust smells like gunpowder. Just to be clear, moondust and gunpowder are not the same thing, so why is this gunpowder smell? No one really knows.
More Fun Facts
MoonPhaseToday.org allows you to view the moon phase for today and tonight, or any given day, month, and year. The moon phase calculation is based on your time zone but we also show you the exact times in UTC format. Hope you find our tool useful and easy to use to find the phases of the Moon.
MoonPhaseToday.org