The current moon phase for today and tonight is the Waxing Gibbous phase. The moon is now 64.9 % visible and is waxing. Today the Moon is 8.8 days old.
The approximate distance from Earth to the Moon is 404,630 and 6.5 days left to the next phase (Full Moon).
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 Gibbous
Previous Phase: First Quarter ()
Moon distance: 404,630 km
Illumination: 64.9 %
Moon age: 8.8 days
Next Phase: Full Moon ()
Moon angle: 0.49
Sun distance: 151,337,287 km
Moon Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
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).
It 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 FactsA "micromoon" is a term used in popular astronomy to describe a full moon or a new moon that occurs when the moon is at or near its apogee, which is the furthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit. This is the opposite of a "supermoon," which occurs when a full moon or new moon is at or near its perigee, which is the closest point to Earth in its orbit."
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 FactsAn orange moon means the shorter wavelengths of light are being filtered away. This could be due to the low position on the horizon causing the light to go through more atmosphere, smoke in the air, or pollution.
More Moon FactsNo, 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 FactsThis is the second phase of the Moon. It occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet. It grows daily as the Moon’s orbit carries the Moon’s dayside farther into view. Every day, the Moon rises a little bit later.
More Moon PhasesHalf Moon is used to mean the first- and third-quarter moons, while the term quarter refers to the extent of the Moon's cycle around the Earth, not its shape. So a Half Moon is when only half of the Moon’s surface facing the Earth is lit by light from the Sun.
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 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 PhasesThere 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 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 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 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 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