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ContactMoon Phase Today
This tracker shows the Moon as it stands right now. The phase name, the illuminated fraction, the lunar age in days and the time to the next major phase are all computed from an astronomical ephemeris in your browser, using your device's clock and time zone — nothing is estimated from a fixed table.
Below the phase you will find the tropical Moon sign with its exact degree. That belongs to the astrological layer rather than the observational one, and it is shown separately for that reason. Open the lunar calendar for any month to see each day's phase at a glance, which is the usual way of choosing a date for something you want to time to the cycle.
Moon Tracker
Current lunar phase and illumination are astronomical measurements. The tropical Moon sign and the reflective guidance below belong to the astrological and esoteric layer, presented separately from the observable data.
Calculating lunar data...
Calculation note: phases and tropical geocentric longitude use an astronomical ephemeris. The phase artwork is a stylized reference and is not a location-specific simulation of the Moon's tilt.
How to read the current moon phase
- Read the phase and illumination. The phase name and the illuminated percentage describe what is observable in the sky tonight.
- Check the lunar age. Age in days shows how far the cycle has run from the last New Moon, out of roughly 29.5.
- Note the next major phase. The countdown gives the next quarter or syzygy, which is what most timing practices key to.
- Open the lunar calendar. Select a month to see every day of the cycle and pick a date.
What the numbers mean
Illumination is the fraction of the lunar disc lit as seen from Earth. It reaches zero near the New Moon and one hundred percent at the Full Moon, and it moves fastest around the quarters.
Lunar age counts days since the last New Moon. A full synodic cycle averages about 29.5 days, so an age of roughly 7.4 days sits near the First Quarter and 14.8 near the Full Moon. The average matters: individual cycles vary by several hours either side.
The tropical Moon sign is the zodiac sign the Moon occupies in the tropical zodiac, given with its degree. The Moon moves through a sign in a little over two days, so this changes far faster than anything else on the page. It is an astrological measure, not an observational one.
Why the phase is not the same as the sign
Phase and sign answer different questions. The phase describes the Sun-Moon angle and is visible to anyone who looks up. The sign describes where the Moon sits against the zodiac and depends on which zodiac you use — tropical here, which is standard in Western astrology and differs from the sidereal zodiac by roughly 24 degrees at present.
Keeping the two apart is worth the small effort. The illuminated fraction is a measurement; the sign is a symbolic frame laid over a measurement. Both are useful, and conflating them is how astronomy gets blamed for claims it never made.
Using the cycle for timing
The common practice is straightforward: begin near the New Moon, build through the waxing phases, mark culmination at the Full Moon, and release through the waning. The moon phases page sets out all eight phases with what each traditionally suits, and the practices section covers how to fold that into meditation and cleansing work.
For a finer grain of timing within a single day, the Planetary Hours divides daylight and night into twelve seasonal hours each, ruled in the Chaldean order.