We've changed our name — alarm-clock.org is now timeandspace.science. Same tools, same pages, new address.
Moon Phase Today
Tonight's phase, how much of the moon is lit, and exactly how long until the next full moon — counted down in your own time zone.
Waning crescent
1% illuminated · waning
- Moon age
- 28.5 days
- Cycle position
- 97% through
- Distance
- 364,664 km
Moonrise & moonset tonight
Unlike the phase, these depend on where you are.
Shown for August 11, 2026 20:44 UTC — this updates to your current time when the page loads.
Next phases
Each phase happens at one instant everywhere on Earth. Times are shown in your time zone once the page loads, with UTC alongside.
The next 30 days
Each disc is that day's phase at 12:00 UTC. Primary phases are labelled. For a month at a time, see the moon phase calendar.
Reading the phase
The moon takes about 29.5 days to go from one new moon to the next. It is not making its own light — half of it is always lit by the sun, and the phase is simply how much of that lit half is turned toward us.
Waxing means the lit part is growing, from new moon toward full. Waning means it is shrinking, from full back toward new. The eight names in common use are new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent.
Everyone on Earth sees the same phase at the same moment. What changes with where you stand is the local clock time of that moment, and the orientation: below the equator the lit side appears on the opposite limb, so this page mirrors the picture for southern-hemisphere visitors.
Moon, sun and tides
Around the new and full moon the sun and moon pull in line with each other, and the gap between high and low water tends to be at its largest — spring tides. Near the quarter moons the two pulls partly cancel and the range tends to be smallest — neap tides.
That is a tendency, not a timetable. Local geography, weather and the shape of the coast all move real water levels around, so the biggest tide of a cycle does not necessarily land on the exact hour of the full moon. For an actual place, read a real prediction: tide times and charts.
For the other half of the sky, see sunrise and sunset times for your city — the moon is easiest to spot when it is up and the sun is not.
Moonrise & moonset by city
Rise and set times are local — pick your city for tonight's times, the direction to look, and a 7-day outlook.
San Antonio, TX San Jose, CA Indianapolis, IN Jacksonville, FL Columbus, OH Charlotte, NC Fort Worth, TX El Paso, TX Memphis, TN Baltimore, MD Oklahoma City, OK Louisville, KY
Browse by state
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Moon phase FAQ
What is the moon phase today? As of the last update the moon was a waning crescent, about 1% illuminated and 28.5 days into its roughly 29.5-day cycle. The page recalculates this in your browser the moment you open it, so the figure you see is for right now.
When is the next full moon? The next full moon is August 28, 2026 at 04:18 UTC. That is a single instant worldwide — only the local clock reading changes, so the page converts it to your own time zone.
Is the moon phase the same everywhere in the world? Yes. Everyone sees the same phase at the same moment. Two things do change with location: the local clock time of that instant, and the way the moon appears rotated — in the southern hemisphere the lit side shows on the opposite limb, which is why this page flips the picture below the equator.
What does moon age mean? How long it has been since the last new moon, in days. A full cycle averages about 29.5 days, so an age near 0 is a new moon, near 7.4 a first quarter, near 14.8 a full moon and near 22 a last quarter.
How accurate are these times? The phase instants are computed with the standard Meeus method, which is accurate to well under a minute. Moonrise and moonset are calculated for the coordinates shown and are typically within a couple of minutes; hills, buildings and elevation shift what you actually see.
Does the moon phase affect the tides? It contributes. Around new and full moons the sun and moon line up and the difference between high and low water tends to be larger — spring tides; near the quarter moons it tends to be smaller — neap tides. Local conditions matter too, so the biggest tides do not always fall exactly on the phase, and you should read a real tide prediction for a specific place.