The moon completes one full cycle — from new moon to full moon and back — every 29.53 days, a period known as a synodic month. At any given moment, a precise fraction of the lunar surface visible from Earth is illuminated by the sun. This page calculates that fraction in real time and displays the current phase name, illumination percentage, and a live countdown to the next full moon.
The moon's journey through its monthly cycle passes through eight distinct phases. Each phase has a distinct character — and for centuries, farmers, sailors, gardeners, and fishermen have planned their work around them.
Gardeners follow lunar planting calendars, timing sowing and harvesting around the phases. Fishermen have long observed that fish feed more actively around the full and new moons when tidal forces are strongest. Hunters note that nocturnal animals are more active on bright full moon nights. Photographers plan night shoots around the phase to capture the right amount of ambient moonlight. And for millions, the moon phase is simply one of the most beautiful natural clocks in existence.