WhenToStargaze

Moon phase tonight

Full Moon
99% illuminated
Next full Moon · Sturgeon Moon
Friday 28 August
Full moon calendar →
Next new Moon (darkest skies)
Friday 11 September

The next 14 nights

Thu 27 Aug
99%
Fri 28 Aug
100%
Sat 29 Aug
99%
Sun 30 Aug
95%
Mon 31 Aug
89%
Tue 1 Sept
81%
Wed 2 Sept
72%
Thu 3 Sept
61%
Fri 4 Sept
50%
Sat 5 Sept
39%
Sun 6 Sept
28%
Mon 7 Sept
18%
Tue 8 Sept
10%
Wed 9 Sept
4%

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 Full Moon, about 99% 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 Sturgeon Moon — is on Friday 28 August. See the full 12-month calendar on our full moon page.

When is the next new moon?

The next new moon is on Friday 11 September. 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.