The Moon orbits the Earth in about 29.5 days while also rotating on its own axis. This synchronous rotation means that we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth. As the Moon moves around our planet, the portion illuminated by the Sun that we can see from Earth changes, creating the different lunar phases, from New Moon 🌑 to Full Moon 🌕 and back.
The phase we observe depends on the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon: when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, we see the New Moon; when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, we see the Full Moon. Between these points, the Moon goes through the waxing and waning phases, including the First Quarter 🌓 and Last Quarter 🌗.
Moonrise and Moonset during the Lunar Cycle
As the Moon orbits around the Earth, its phase not only changes in appearance but also affects the times it rises, reaches its highest point in the sky, and sets. A New Moon rises and sets with the Sun, culminating around noon, while a Full Moon rises at sunset, culminates around midnight, and sets at sunrise. Intermediate phases follow a gradual transition between these extremes.
| Phase | Moonrise | Highest Point | Moonset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌑 New Moon | 06:00 | 12:00 | 18:00 |
| 🌒 Waxing Crescent | 09:00 | 15:00 | 21:00 |
| 🌓 First Quarter | 12:00 | 18:00 | 00:00 |
| 🌔 Waxing Gibbous | 15:00 | 21:00 | 03:00 |
| 🌕 Full Moon | 18:00 | 00:00 | 06:00 |
| 🌖 Waning Gibbous | 21:00 | 03:00 | 09:00 |
| 🌗 Last Quarter | 00:00 | 06:00 | 12:00 |
| 🌘 Waning Crescent | 03:00 | 09:00 | 15:00 |
🕒 The times shown in the table above are approximate and idealized for illustrative purposes; actual times may vary slightly depending on the observer’s location and the Moon’s position in its orbit.
How to use the tool?
This interactive lunar phases simulator allows you to explore how the Moon’s appearance changes over the course of a lunar month. By moving the slider, you can scroll day by day through the complete cycle: you will see how the Moon appears from Earth, how it moves relative to the Sun and Earth when viewed from above, and how it is positioned in three-dimensional space.