WhenToStargaze

Moon phase tonight

New Moon
3% illuminated
Next full Moon · Hunter's Moon
Monday 26 October
Full moon calendar →
Next new Moon (darkest skies)
Monday 9 November

The next 14 nights

Mon 12 Oct
3%
Tue 13 Oct
7%
Wed 14 Oct
13%
Thu 15 Oct
20%
Fri 16 Oct
28%
Sat 17 Oct
37%
Sun 18 Oct
47%
Mon 19 Oct
56%
Tue 20 Oct
65%
Wed 21 Oct
74%
Thu 22 Oct
83%
Fri 23 Oct
90%
Sat 24 Oct
95%
Sun 25 Oct
99%

Local moonrise & moonset

Moon phase is the same worldwide, but rise and set times depend on where you are. Search your city:

The eight phases, in plain English

New Moon
invisible — the best stargazing nights
Waxing Crescent
thin sliver, sets early evening
First Quarter
half lit, visible until midnight
Waxing Gibbous
bright, up most of the night
Full Moon
fully lit, rises at sunset — washes out the stars
Waning Gibbous
bright, rises late evening
Last Quarter
half lit, rises around midnight
Waning Crescent
thin sliver in the pre-dawn sky

Moon FAQ

What is the moon phase tonight?

Tonight the Moon is a New Moon, about 3% illuminated. The phase is the same everywhere on Earth tonight — only your local moonrise and moonset times differ.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon — the Hunter's Moon — is on Monday 26 October. See the full 12-month calendar on our full moon page.

When is the next new moon?

The next new moon is on Monday 9 November. New-moon nights are the darkest of the month — the best time to see faint stars, the Milky Way and meteor showers.

What time does the moon rise tonight?

Moonrise depends on your location and shifts roughly 30–60 minutes later each night. Search your city above for tonight's exact local moonrise and moonset times.

For stargazing, the new Moon and the days around it are best — dark skies reveal far more. Plan around it with the two-week planner on any city's stargazing page, and see the full moon calendar for the year ahead.