Moon phase settings
Moon Phase Clock
See the current moon phase, illumination, moon age, and upcoming major phase in a live display.
How it works
The Moon Phase Clock is a fast, clean way to answer a few practical questions without digging through menus or calendars: What phase is the moon right now, how bright is it, how many days into the lunar cycle are we, and when does the next major phase happen in your local time.
The main display is intentionally dominant. It shows a big countdown to the next major phase, plus a compact set of facts underneath: phase name, illumination percentage, and moon age in days. The top line tells you what is coming next, for example Next: Full Moon · 8:14 PM. When the event is close, the card can highlight that urgency so you do not miss it while the page is open.
Two modes keep the tool simple. Live mode updates continuously and is meant for “what is happening now” and “how long until the next major phase.” Manual mode lets you pick a date and time to check the phase details for that moment. Editing Date, Hour, or Minute switches you to Manual automatically, and Now returns you to Live.
- 1) Leave Live on to track the countdown and see today’s phase details update.
- 2) Read the Next line for the upcoming major phase and the estimated local time.
- 3) Go Fullscreen if you want a room-readable display.
- 4) If you are checking another moment, edit Date, Hour, or Minute and the page switches to Manual.
- 5) Use Now to return to Live instantly.
The tool tracks where you are in the lunar cycle and derives a readable phase label from that position. From the same cycle position it estimates illumination (shown as a percent) and moon age (days since the last New Moon). It also finds the next boundary among the four major phases and displays an estimated local timestamp plus a countdown.
- If you only care about today, keep Live on.
- If you are checking a past or future moment, edit date/time and stay in Manual.
- If you need a display across the room, go fullscreen first.
- If you want an audio heads-up near the event, enable Sound and optionally Final beeps.
- If you are planning across places, convert time zones with Time Zone Converter.
What each value means on this page
The display is built around the four major phases because they are the most useful anchors for planning and quick checks. Those phases are New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter. The tool also shows the in-between labels (waxing and waning crescents and gibbous phases) so you get a descriptive name for the current moment, not only the major checkpoints.
Illumination is shown as a percentage so you can quickly interpret “how bright” without mental math. The number is most intuitive around common points in the cycle. Near New Moon you will often see single digits like 2% to 8%. Near First Quarter it trends around 50%. Near Full Moon it climbs toward 95%+. The tool is meant to be readable and consistent, so it favors a stable, smooth estimate rather than a noisy presentation.
Moon age is the estimated days since the last New Moon. You will see it in a format like 9.6 days. Age is useful because it gives you a simple “where are we” number that works well in Manual mode. For example, a manual check might show 14.8 days around a Full Moon window, while a check shortly after New Moon might show 1.2 days.
Scenarios with concrete examples (what you will see here)
The examples below are designed to look like real “screen moments.” They include the kinds of numbers this page shows: phase label, illumination percent, age in days, and a countdown to the next major phase. Your displayed values will differ based on the date and time, but the structure and interpretation stays consistent.
Choose Live when the question is “what is happening now” or “how long until the next major phase.” Choose Manual when you care about a specific moment, such as checking a date for planning or comparing two times in the same day. Manual mode is also useful when you want a steady display for notes without it shifting under you.
If your goal is timekeeping accuracy rather than lunar phase, compare with Atomic Clock or UTC Clock.
Use the closest match to what you are trying to do.
Technical details (lunar model, timestamps, sound, and limits)Optional notes about behavior and expectations▼
The page uses a fast synodic-month cycle model anchored to a reference New Moon timestamp. It computes the cycle fraction, then derives a phase label, an illumination estimate, and moon age in days. Major phase times are computed by finding the next quarter-step boundary in that cycle.
This is designed for a smooth clock experience and everyday planning. It is not intended to replace specialized ephemeris data used for scientific observation.
The “Next” and “Previous” timestamps are displayed in your local time using your browser’s locale and time zone. If your device clock or time zone is misconfigured, displayed times will follow your device settings.
If you are coordinating across places, use Time Zone Converter to translate the phase time for someone else.
Sound uses WebAudio. Many browsers require a user gesture before audio can play. Turning Sound on and clicking Now once is a reliable way to unlock audio for the session.
Final beeps is a near-event alert in Live mode. If you do not want any audio, turn Sound off.
Fullscreen uses the browser fullscreen API and may require a click or keypress. Keyboard shortcut handling is attached to the card, so click the display once if F does nothing.
Esc exits fullscreen immediately.
Keyboard shortcuts
Click the moon phase card once, then use the shortcuts below. Shortcuts won’t trigger while you’re typing in a date or time input.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F | Toggle fullscreen for the moon phase display |
| Esc | Exit fullscreen |
Common scenarios
Live phase, illumination estimate, moon age, and a big countdown to the next major phase. Switch to Manual to check a specific date and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this Moon Phase Clock show?
What is the countdown counting down to?
How do I switch between Live and Manual?
How do I check the moon phase for a specific date and time?
What does illumination mean here?
What does moon age mean?
What are “major phases”?
How do I go fullscreen?
What do Sound and Final beeps do?
Why didn’t I hear any sound?
Why aren’t keyboard shortcuts working?
What are the keyboard shortcuts?
Which related tool should I use instead?
How accurate is this?
Moon phase clock at a glance
Live phase + illumination + moon age • Big countdown to the next major phase • Fullscreen • Sound + optional final beeps • Manual date/time lookup
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Moon phase clock at a glance
Live phase + illumination + moon age • Big countdown to the next major phase • Fullscreen • Sound + optional final beeps • Manual date/time lookup
- 1) Live view: keep Live on to track today’s phase and the next major phase time.
- 2) Fullscreen: click Fullscreen or press F for a big display.
- 3) Manual check: change the date/time to check another moment, then use Now to return to Live.
- Planning: see when the next New Moon or Full Moon happens in your local time.
- Quick checks: phase, illumination, and age without digging through menus.
- A display mode: fullscreen countdown you can read across the room.
- Reference lookups: check the phase for a specific date and time in Manual.
How it works, shortcuts, and notes▼
- F: fullscreen
- Esc: exit fullscreen
Tip: click the clock card once so shortcuts are captured.
Phase, illumination, and major-phase times are computed from a lightweight lunar-cycle estimate for a smooth clock experience.
Manual mode uses the date and time you enter in your local time zone, then computes the estimated cycle position for that moment.
Sound only runs in Live mode. If Final beeps are enabled, the page plays short beeps near the end of the countdown. Use the Now button after turning sound on to unlock audio on browsers that require interaction.