Moon Phase

See tonight's moon: drag the lunation arc to sweep the terminator

新月
亮面 0%
月齢 0.00
農曆 初一
時間顯示為 Asia/Taipei
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New drag or ←→ keys Next New
接下來的月相
這個農曆月

About this tool

Phase instants are computed from the k/T series with periodic corrections (Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, Ch. 49). Moon position and illuminated fraction are computed from an independent series (Ch. 47/48). The two engines cross-check each other: at every new-moon instant the independently computed illuminated fraction should be below 1%, at every full moon above 99%. Phase instants are converted from Dynamical Time (TD) to Universal Time (UT) using a ΔT polynomial, then displayed in your local timezone.

The terminator on the moon disc is a half-ellipse: it degenerates to a straight line at the quarters, bows toward the dark side during gibbous phases, and bows toward the lit limb during crescent phases. Waxing and waning phases of equal illumination are mirror images of each other. The southern-hemisphere toggle rotates the whole disc by 180 degrees — it is not a mirror. Southern observers see the same face upside down, so the crescent curves the other way while the maria stay in their true relative positions; mirroring would draw a Moon that cannot exist.

The lunar day-of-month is derived from this tool's own new-moon instant: the first day of each lunar month is defined as the civil day (UTC+8) that contains the new-moon instant. The tool counts civil days forward from that point — no lookup table is needed. Only the day-of-month is computed here; lunar month numbering and intercalary months require solar-term rules and are out of scope. The full moon sometimes falls on day 16 rather than 15 because a phase is an instant, not a whole day. This tool does not compute moonrise/moonset, observer coordinates, libration, eclipse prediction, or any astrological content.

The lunar surface is NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio "CGI Moon Kit", assembled from over 100,000 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera images. The source equirectangular map was reprojected here into the orthographic near-side view, and the tool draws its own computed terminator on top. NASA imagery is in the public domain; this use is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, NASA.

Quick guide

Use cases, answers, and nearby tools

Compact below-tool notes that help first-run users and repeated visitors move faster without changing the main interface.

Chinese search: 今天月相、今晚月亮、下次滿月 時間、農曆 初幾 月相、月相 查詢

Japanese search: 月齡 今日、満月 いつ、今日 月相、次の満月、月の満ち欠け

How to use

Run a clean first pass

  1. The page opens on the current moon phase for your timezone — no setup, and the timezone is labelled.
  2. Drag the lunation arc or type a date: the terminator sweeps the disc while the phase name, illumination, moon age and lunar day update together. The orbit diagram below shows why it changes at all.
  3. Tap any day in 'This lunar month' to jump there, or open 'Birth Moon' for a shareable card plus the same birthday across the next twenty years.

Examples

Real jobs this page helps with

  • Check tonight's moonLoads on the current phase for your timezone and lists the next new, first-quarter, full and last-quarter instants in local time. 'Share this moment' copies a link that carries the date, so whoever opens it sees the same moon.
  • See why the phase changesBelow the tool is a top-down diagram: sunlight from the left, and exactly half the Moon lit at all times. Drag the arc and it turns with you — what changes is only where the Moon has travelled to, and so how much of that lit half faces us.
  • From new moon to full'This lunar month' draws all 29-30 days of the current lunar month at their real phases: dark at day 1, full around day 15. The lunar day comes from the tool's own new-moon instant, not a lookup table.
  • Birthday moon and the 19-year cycleEnter a birthday for a shareable card of that night's moon, then see the same date across the next twenty years. Nineteen tropical years is very nearly 235 lunations, so the phase comes back around — the tool marks whichever year actually lands closest.

FAQ

What people usually want to know

How is the moon phase calculated? Does it need internet?

No internet required. All phase data is computed in your browser using astronomical algorithms: phase instants from a k/T series with periodic corrections, and the moon's position and illuminated fraction from an independent series. No backend, no database.

How is the lunar day-of-month derived?

Not from a lookup table. The first day of each lunar month is defined as the civil day (UTC+8) containing the new-moon instant. The tool counts days forward from that point using its own computed new-moon times.

Why does the full moon sometimes fall on day 16?

A phase is an instant, not a whole day. The full moon can fall on either day 15 or 16 depending on when the exact instant occurs in your timezone. The tool labels which timezone it's using.

Can I send someone a specific date?

Yes. 'Share this moment' copies a URL carrying the date (for example ?d=2026-07-17T20:00), and it opens on that exact moon rather than jumping to today. The birth-moon share includes the same link. The timestamp is local wall-clock time, matching the date field on screen.

Is that a real photograph of the Moon?

Yes. The surface is NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio 'CGI Moon Kit', assembled from over 100,000 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera images and in the public domain. It is reprojected here into the near-side view, with the tool's own computed terminator drawn over it. The southern-hemisphere view rotates the whole disc 180 degrees rather than mirroring it — a mirrored Moon is one that cannot exist.

Does the southern hemisphere view look different?

Yes. The southern hemisphere sees the same face upside down — a 180-degree rotation, not a mirror. The illuminated fraction is identical but the crescent curves the other way, while the maria keep their true relative positions. The hemisphere toggle does exactly that; mirroring would render a Moon that cannot exist.

What is out of scope?

Moonrise/moonset times, observer coordinates, libration, eclipse prediction, supermoon distance, and any astrological content. The tool answers one question: what does the moon look like at that instant?