Live Moon Phase
Last Quarter moon

Last Quarter

As of Thursday, 06 August 2026 (Asia/Kolkata)
55% Illuminated
Tithi: Ashtami Krishna
Moon in Aries
Nakshatra: Ashwini (Pada 4)

Next Full Moon & New Moon

Full Moon
Next Full Moon
Thursday, 27 August 2026
in 21 days
New Moon
Next New Moon
Wednesday, 12 August 2026
in 6 days

The 8 Moon Phases Explained

The Moon cycles through 8 named phases roughly every 29.5 days (a synodic month), moving from New Moon to Full Moon and back again.

New Moon
New Moon
0% illuminated
The Moon sits between Earth and the Sun, so the side facing us is completely unlit. Invisible to the naked eye. Called Amavasya in the Vedic calendar.
Waxing Crescent
Waxing Crescent
1-49% illuminated
A thin, growing sliver appears in the days after New Moon, visible low in the western sky just after sunset.
First Quarter
First Quarter
~50% illuminated
Exactly half the Moon's disc is lit and growing -- often just called a "half moon." Visible high in the sky in the afternoon and evening.
Waxing Gibbous
Waxing Gibbous
51-99% illuminated
More than half lit and still growing, on its way to Full Moon. Rises in the afternoon and is visible for most of the night.
Full Moon
Full Moon
100% illuminated
The Moon is fully illuminated and directly opposite the Sun in the sky, rising around sunset and visible all night. Called Purnima in the Vedic calendar.
Waning Gibbous
Waning Gibbous
51-99% illuminated
More than half lit but now shrinking as the Moon moves past Full Moon. Rises later each night, after sunset.
Last Quarter
Last Quarter
~50% illuminated
Half the disc is lit and shrinking -- the mirror image of First Quarter. Rises around midnight, visible in the morning sky.
Waning Crescent
Waning Crescent
1-49% illuminated
A thin, shrinking sliver visible in the early morning sky just before sunrise, in the final days before the next New Moon.

Moon Phase vs. Tithi — What's the Difference?

The Western "moon phase" system divides the Moon's cycle into 8 named stages based on how much of its disc is illuminated. Vedic astrology uses a more precise 30-step system called Tithi — a lunar day measuring the exact angular distance between the Sun and Moon. Each Western phase actually spans several tithis: for example, "Full Moon" corresponds to a single tithi called Purnima, while "New Moon" corresponds to Amavasya. Today's tithi, Ashtami Krishna, falls within the Last Quarter phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tonight's moon phase is Last Quarter, with the Moon about 55% illuminated. This is the same worldwide at any given moment — illumination doesn't depend on your location, though whether you can actually see the Moon tonight depends on your local weather and moonrise/moonset time.
Right now the Moon is in its Last Quarter phase (55% illuminated). In the Vedic calendar this corresponds to the tithi Ashtami Krishna. The figures on this page are calculated from precise astronomical ephemeris data and update automatically as the Moon moves through its cycle.
The current phase is Last Quarter. The next Full Moon falls on Thursday, 27 August 2026, and the next New Moon falls on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
The Moon completes a full cycle through all 8 phases roughly every 29.5 days (called a synodic month). Each of the 4 primary phases (New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter) occurs roughly once every 7-8 days, with a Waxing or Waning phase filling the days in between.
A Western "moon phase" is one of 8 broad visual stages based on illumination. A tithi is a more precise Vedic astrology unit — one of 30 divisions of the lunar month, each measuring exactly 12° of angular separation between the Sun and Moon. Several tithis fall within each Western phase. See our tithi calendars for exact tithi timings.

Curious What This Moon Phase Means for Your Chart?

Generate your free Vedic birth chart to see how the Moon's current position relates to your own Moon sign and Nakshatra.

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