Lunar Phase Calendar

Monthly moon phases, illumination percentages, and rise/set times — powered by Skyfield.

Optional: Enter your 5-digit US ZIP code to add moon rise and set times.
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August 2026

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
🌖
Waning Gibbous
91.8%
2
🌖
Waning Gibbous
85.3%
3
🌖
Waning Gibbous
77.1%
4
🌖
Waning Gibbous
67.4%
5
🌗
Last Quarter
56.8%
6
🌗
Last Quarter
45.6%
🌗 Last Quarter
7
🌗
Last Quarter
34.3%
8
🌘
Waning Crescent
23.7%
9
🌘
Waning Crescent
14.4%
10
🌘
Waning Crescent
7.1%
11
🌑
New Moon
2.2%
12
🌑
New Moon
0.1%
🌑 New Moon
13
🌑
New Moon
0.8%
14
🌑
New Moon
4.1%
15
🌒
Waxing Crescent
9.7%
16
🌒
Waxing Crescent
17.0%
17
🌒
Waxing Crescent
25.5%
18
🌒
Waxing Crescent
34.8%
19
🌓
First Quarter
44.4%
20
🌓
First Quarter
54.0%
🌓 First Quarter
21
🌓
First Quarter
63.3%
22
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
72.2%
23
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
80.2%
24
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
87.3%
25
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
93.0%
26
🌕
Full Moon
97.2%
27
🌕
Full Moon
99.5%
28
🌕
Full Moon
99.9%
🌕 Full Moon
29
🌕
Full Moon
98.1%
30
🌖
Waning Gibbous
94.0%
31
🌖
Waning Gibbous
87.9%

Next Major Phases

🌗
Last Quarter
September 04, 2026
07:51 UTC
In 6 days
🌑
New Moon
September 11, 2026
03:26 UTC
In 13 days
🌓
First Quarter
September 18, 2026
20:43 UTC
In 20 days
🌕
Full Moon
September 26, 2026
16:48 UTC
In 28 days

Phase Reference

Phase Name Illumination Best for Observing
🌑New Moon ~0% Deep sky objects (darkest skies)
🌒Waxing Crescent1–49% Evening crescent, earthshine visible
🌓First Quarter ~50% Lunar terminator & crater detail
🌔Waxing Gibbous 51–99% Mare & highland contrast
🌕Full Moon ~100% Naked-eye features; bright
🌖Waning Gibbous 99–51% Late-night & pre-dawn viewing
🌗Last Quarter ~50% Pre-dawn terminator detail
🌘Waning Crescent49–1% Pre-dawn crescent; near-dark skies

Understanding Lunar Phases

The lunar cycle: The Moon completes one full cycle of phases — from New Moon back to New Moon — every 29.53 days (the synodic period). This calendar uses the Skyfield astronomy library to compute precise illumination and phase angles directly from JPL ephemeris data, so percentages and phase labels are accurate to the minute.

Rise and set times: When a ZIP code is provided, the calendar adds local moonrise and moonset times for each day. These times vary significantly with latitude and can shift by more than an hour across the continental US. On some days the Moon may not rise or set at all — this is normal near the poles or when the Moon's orbital geometry keeps it above (or below) the horizon for a full day.

Related space tools: Find out if tonight is good for stargazing — including twilight windows, satellite passes, and a quality rating — with the Night Sky Planner. Track the ISS in real time with the ISS Tracker, or predict visible passes for dozens of other satellites with the Satellite Pass Predictor.

This tool was created by Ben Crittenden, a Project Management Professional (PMP) with experience in web development and systems administration.