How to Use: Moon Phase City Page

The Moon icon at the top shows approximately what the current Moon phase looks like from the selected location. The white part is the illuminated part, while the gray part is not currently visible. It changes in real-time. The percentage below the Moon image indicates how much of the visible lunar surface is currently illuminated by the Sun.

Note that the Moon phase illustration does not show whether the Moon is currently below the horizon or invisible due to clouds.

Tonight's Moon phase is also displayed near the top of the page, along with the precise times and dates for the previous and next phase. Click on the Moon phases for more information.

Use the search field to open the Moon Phase Page for a different city. The search supports ZIP/postal codes for several countries, including the United States and Canada.

You can also enter geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude) to find the same information for any place on Earth.

Problems? See “The city search lists several places with the same name. Which is the one I'm looking for?” in the FAQ section below.

Use the navigation tabs next to the search field to access the General City Page (Time/General tab) or other sub-pages dedicated to specific topics, such as Weather, Time Zone, and DST Changes in the city.

The section showing four large Moon phase symbols provides the exact moments of the next four Moon phases in the lunar cycle. Click on the names of the Moon phases for more information about each phase.

Problems? See “Why are the Moon phase symbols the wrong way round?” in the FAQ section below.

The table below the four large Moon phase symbols lists the dates and times for each Moon phase in a calendar year. It defaults to the current year. Use the Show moon phases for drop-down menu or the Go to specific year field to select a different year.

Astronomers assign a number to each lunar cycle. These numbers are displayed in the Lunation column. The Duration column shows the duration of each lunation, which is the time span from one New Moon to the next. The current lunation is highlighted.

The table also highlights special Moon phases, such as Supermoons, Blue Moons, and lunar eclipses. Hover your mouse cursor over a highlighted field to learn what kind of event occurs on that date. For more information about each event, click on the links under Special Moon Events in... below the table.

The Moon phases in the selected year are displayed in a more concise format below Moon Phases Calendar. Hover your mouse cursor over one of the Moon phase symbols for more information, including the exact time of day.

This section lists special Moon phases in the selected year, such as Supermoons, Blue Moons, and lunar eclipses. Click on the links to learn more about each event.

While many other sources display the Moon phase times in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or UT1, the times shown on the Moon Phase City Page refer to the time zone of the selected city. To change the times to your local time, enter your city (or a city in the same time zone) into the search field near the top of the page.

We use our own trusted algorithms to determine the precise moments for each Moon phase, so there is always a chance that we differ from other sources.

However, if some of the times appear to be off by 1 minute when you compare them to other sources, this is probably simply due to differing rounding methods. We always round down to the next full minute. For example, if the Moon phase happens at 59 seconds past 13:00 (1:00 pm) it is displayed as 13:00 (1:00 pm). Some sources may use a different rounding method.

The Moon phase symbols are roughly based on the appearance of the Moon phases in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that they do not correctly represent the Moon phases in the Southern Hemisphere, where the illuminated portion of the lunar surface moves from left to right instead of right to left.

However, rather than showing what the phases actually look like in the selected city, they are static symbols designed to provide a simplified representation of each phase. For a dynamic, real-time representation of the current Moon phase in the selected city, please see the Moon phase simulation near the top of the page instead.

The phases of the Moon are defined by the Moon's position in relation to the Earth and the Sun. They do not take into account the local time in a specific location. So, even though the Moon can only be seen at night in any location in the days around Full Moon, the moment when the Moon reaches the Full Moon position can be at any time of day.

Some Full Moons are not 100% illuminated, as seen from Earth. If that is the case, our Moon phase page will display a slightly lower value at the moment of the Full Moon, such as 99.9%.

The Sun always illuminates one half of the lunar surface, except during lunar eclipses. The phases of the Moon are determined by our viewing angle: at New Moon, we look at the dark side of the Moon; at Full Moon, it's the illuminated half. Read a detailed explanation of Moon phases

The reason why we cannot see the entire illuminated hemisphere of the Moon during some Full Moons is that the Moon's orbit around Earth is inclined at an angle of about 5° in relation to the Earth's orbital plane, the imaginary disk whose outer edge is defined by our planet's orbit around the Sun and which astronomers call the ecliptic. So, at some points during the lunar month, the Moon is “above” the ecliptic, and at other points, it is ”below” it. For an illustration, please see the section about lunar nodes in our explanation of lunar eclipses.

If the Full Moon occurs at a moment when the Moon is particularly far above or below the ecliptic, we do not exactly face the illuminated part of the Moon but view it at a very slight angle—an angle that is large enough to diminish the illumination percentage by a tiny amount.

That said, while our algorithms account for it, this effect is not actually noticeable when looking up at the Moon. In fact, the Moon generally looks full a few days before and after the Full Moon phase, when the illumination is considerably lower than 100%.

The Moon phase simulation does not take into account the actual visibility of the Moon from the selected location. The Moon may currently be below the horizon, or adverse weather conditions may prevent a Moon sighting.

No, the craters are just a design element. While the perceived orientation of the real Moon changes as you travel north or south, the Moon phase simulation does not take into account the latitude of the selected city, so the craters always appear in the same place.

Our system supports both 24-hour and 12-hour (am/pm) clock formats. To change the format, please go to My Units and make a selection in the Time Format drop-down, and click Save Settings.

To use our new map location picker, click on the search field and then on Open Map. To choose your location, click on the map and click Select. Clicking Cancel closes the window.

You can use the search field to find your location, and then refine it by clicking on the map to get closer to your desired location. Clicking the target icon will take you to the location you have customized in the settings.

Using the zoom:

• The plus and minus symbols on the map zoom it in and out.
• You can move the map around in the window by clicking and holding your mouse button. If you are on a mobile or tablet, you move the map by holding your finger down.
• Click the mouse button or tap your finger to drop a pin on your desired location. If you have the map zoomed out, it will snap to the nearest location. Zooming right in will give you the coordinates of the location.

We appreciate your feedback! The map location picker is a BETA service, so it is still under development. If you find anything wrong or have suggestions to improve it, please let us know.

Our database of locations includes thousands of cities worldwide, and we now offer an additional 6 million places via the GeoNames database. If you still don't find your town, please let us know, and we will consider adding it.

When you type the location into the search field and it suggests several places by the same name, first have a look at the country flag and the description in parentheses to identify the city you are looking for. If it is still unclear, click on one of the locations and check the geographical position on the map or click on the Time/General tab and check the longitude/latitude information shown near the top of the page.

For an observer on Earth, a Full Moon seems to last for a few days as the Moon looks fully illuminated for at least two nights in a row. However, in astronomical terms, Moon phases are determined by the angle the Moon's position makes with the Earth and the Sun.

For example, the Full Moon phase is defined as the moment when the Moon reaches the point on its orbit where it is exactly opposite the Sun in relation to Earth. As with all other Moon phases, this moment can be determined with great precision, which is why we are able to display the exact instant for each phase.

The Moon phases do indeed occur at the same time for all locations on Earth. However, because of time zones, the local time differs from one location to another. The Moon Phase City page shows the local time for each Moon phase in the selected city.

Yes, our city search engine supports ZIP and postal codes for the United States (5-digit ZIP codes only), Canada (first 3 letters/digits only), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Norway.

Yes, you can look up any location by entering geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into the search field.

Please use one of the following formats:

• Degrees and minutes, e.g., 40.42N 73.59W
• Decimal format, e.g., 40.71 -73.98

You can look up any location on Earth by entering geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into the search field.

Please use one of the following formats:

• Degrees and minutes, e.g., 40.42N 73.59W
• Decimal format, e.g., 40.71 -73.98

Yes, all Daylight Saving Time (DST) clock changes are taken into account. The Moon Phase City Page always shows the correct local time for each Moon phase.

The table under Moon Phases for... shows the dates and times for Moon phases in a year of your choice. The current lunation or lunar cycle is highlighted yellow.

The blue highlights mark special Moon phases or events, such as Supermoons, Blue Moons, and lunar eclipses. Hover your mouse cursor over each of them to see what kind of event it is. For more information, scroll down to Special Moon Events and click on the links in the list.

It's a full lunar cycle, the time span between one New Moon and the next. Astronomers assign a number to each lunar cycle. These numbers are displayed in the Lunation column in the table under Moon Phases for....

All of the information presented on our Sun and Moon pages is based on algorithms and data from the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) and NASA, which we have optimized to efficiently calculate accurate Sun and Moon times. The algorithms have been tested countless times and are monitored periodically to ensure continued accuracy.

However, some factors may influence the apparent movements of the Sun and the Moon that cannot be controlled. For example, while we consider refraction, the extent of its effect depends on atmospheric pressure and temperature. This means our times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset may be off by a few seconds if the pressure or temperature greatly deviates from the average values on which we base our calculations (pressure: 101.325 pascals or 0.0147 pounds per square inch (psi), and temperature: 15°C or 59°F).

Please note that our calculations assume a flat horizon, which is at the same altitude as the observer. This means the time and direction of sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset may differ if there are mountains or other obstacles in the way.

We are a small team with very extensive websites to manage, so, unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to share detailed information about our algorithms or provide programming help.

The General FAQ Page answers your questions about timeanddate.com, our services, site-wide settings, customization options, advertising opportunities, and copyright policies.