Moon Phase Today
🌒 Waxing crescent
On Saturday, October 17, 2026 the Moon is a waxing crescent, about 44% lit and 6.8 days old. After sunset it hangs in the south-west and goes down late in the evening. The next full moon is on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 12:11 AM EDT.
Shown for October 17, 2026. The phase updates for your own date and time when the page loads.
The next moon phases
| Phase | Date (ET) | Time (ET) | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌓 First quarter | Sun, October 18, 2026 | 12:12 PM EDT | 16:12 UTC |
| 🌕 Full moon | Mon, October 26, 2026 | 12:11 AM EDT | 04:11 UTC |
| 🌗 Last quarter | Sun, November 1, 2026 | 3:28 PM EST | 20:28 UTC |
| 🌑 New moon | Mon, November 9, 2026 | 2:02 AM EST | 07:02 UTC |
| 🌓 First quarter | Tue, November 17, 2026 | 6:48 AM EST | 11:48 UTC |
| 🌕 Full moon | Tue, November 24, 2026 | 9:53 AM EST | 14:53 UTC |
| 🌗 Last quarter | Tue, December 1, 2026 | 1:09 AM EST | 06:09 UTC |
| 🌑 New moon | Tue, December 8, 2026 | 7:51 PM EST | 00:51 UTC |
Times come from the Meeus lunar formulas and match the US Naval Observatory tables to within a few minutes.
What the phases mean
One cycle, new moon to new moon, takes about 29.5 days. A thin waxing crescent shows up in the evening sky a day or two after the new moon. By first quarter the right half is lit, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The waxing gibbous moon keeps growing until it is full and rises around sunset. Then it shrinks again: waning gibbous, last quarter with the left half lit, and finally a waning crescent low in the sky before dawn.
From the Southern Hemisphere the same phases look mirrored, so the lit side is on the other side.
How the percentage lit is worked out
On October 17, 2026 about 44% of the Moon's face is lit. The figure comes from its age, 6.8 days since the last new moon. A quarter moon is half lit and a full moon is 100%. The estimate is within a few percent, finer than the eye can judge.
Moon phase questions
What is the moon phase today?
A waxing crescent on October 17, with about 44% of the disc lit. After sunset it hangs in the south-west and goes down late in the evening.
When is the next full moon?
On Monday, October 26 at 12:11 AM EDT, 9 days from now. That is just after midnight, so go out on Sunday evening, October 25, to see it rise.
When is the next new moon?
Monday, November 9 at 2:02 AM EST. You will not see the Moon for a night or two around then, which makes those the darkest nights of the month for stargazing.
Is the Moon waxing or waning now?
Waxing. Each evening it shows a little more until it is full on October 26, and then it starts to shrink.
How long is a full cycle of moon phases?
29.5 days on average, from one new moon to the next. Calendar months run a little longer, so now and then one fits in two full moons, and the second is called a blue moon.
Related pages
Cite this page
APA: ClockTotals. (2026, October 17). Moon Phase Today. https://clocktotals.com/moon-phase-today/
MLA: “Moon Phase Today.” ClockTotals, 17 Oct. 2026, clocktotals.com/moon-phase-today/.
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