What is the moon phase today?
Today, April 17, 2026, the moon is in the new moon phase and is 0% illuminated. It is 29 days old in its lunar cycle. It rises around sunrise and sets around sunset. It is invisible in the sky.
Key details for today (April 17, 2026):
- Moon phase: New moon
- Moon illumination: 0%
- Moon age: 29 days
Moon phases for April 2026
Dates and times for the moon phases in April 2026:
- Full moon: April 2, 02:12 UTC
- Third quarter: April 10, 04:52 UTC
- New moon: April 17, 11:52 UTC
- First quarter: April 24, 02:32 UTC
Moon phases for 2026
Here are the dates and times for all the moon phases in 2026 (all times are in UTC):
| New moon | First quarter | Full moon | Third quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | January 3, 10:03 | January 10, 15:48 |
| January 18, 19:52 | January 26, 04:47 | February 1, 22:09 | February 9, 12:43 |
| February 17, 12:01 | February 24, 12:28 | March 3, 11:38 | March 11, 09:39 |
| March 19, 01:23 | March 25, 19:18 | April 2, 02:12 | April 10, 04:52 |
| April 17, 11:52 | April 24, 02:32 | May 1, 17:23 | May 9, 21:10 |
| May 16, 20:01 | May 23, 11:11 | May 31, 08:45 | June 8, 10:00 |
| June 15, 02:54 | June 21, 21:55 | June 29, 23:57 | July 7, 19:29 |
| July 14, 09:43 | July 21, 11:06 | July 29, 14:36 | August 6, 02:21 |
| August 12, 17:37 | August 20, 02:46 | August 28, 04:18 | September 4, 07:51 |
| September 11, 03:27 | September 18, 20:44 | September 26, 16:49 | October 3, 13:25 |
| October 10, 15:50 | October 18, 16:13 | October 26, 04:12 | November 1, 20:28 |
| November 9, 07:02 | November 17, 11:48 | November 24, 14:53 | December 1, 06:09 |
| December 9, 00:52 | December 17, 05:43 | December 24, 01:28 | December 30, 18:59 |
The phases of the moon
The moon takes about 29.53 days to travel from one new moon to the next new moon. This period is called a lunar cycle.
In a lunar cycle, the moon goes through the following phases in order: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.
New moon: The new moon marks the beginning of the lunar cycle. It is the invisible phase of the moon. It occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth in its orbit.
Waxing crescent: About two or three days after the new moon, a thin, sickle-shaped moon—a waxing crescent moon—appears in the western sky after sunset. Each day, it moves farther away from the sunset glare, and its illuminated portion increases until it becomes a first quarter moon.
First quarter: About one week after the new moon, a half-illuminated moon—a first quarter moon—appears high in the sky around sunset. It occurs when the moon passes a quarter of the way in its orbit around Earth since the new moon.
Waxing gibbous: About two or three days after the first quarter moon, a more than half-illuminated but less than full moon—a waxing gibbous moon—appears high in the sky in the evening. Each day, its illuminated portion increases until it becomes a full moon.
Full moon: About two weeks after the new moon, the entire sunlit face of the moon—a full moon—rises in the east around sunset and is visible all night. It occurs when the moon is opposite the sun in its orbit around Earth.
Waning gibbous: About two or three days after the full moon, a less than full, but more than half-illuminated moon—a waning gibbous moon—appears high in the sky before dawn. Each day, its illuminated portion decreases until it becomes a third quarter moon.
Third quarter: About three weeks after the new moon, another half-illuminated moon—a third quarter moon—appears high in the sky around sunrise. It occurs when the moon passes three quarters of the way in its orbit around Earth.
Waning crescent: About two or three days after the third quarter moon, another thin, sickle-shaped moon—a waning crescent moon—appears in the eastern sky before sunrise. Each day, it moves closer to the sunrise glare, and its illuminated portion decreases until it becomes a new moon.
References
Moon Phase and Libration, 2026
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