Find out what phase of the Moon is visible tonight and over the coming year with our guide to Moon phases and Moonrise times in 2024.
The phases of the Moon are caused by the mechanics of the Earth-Moon-Sun system: how Earth orbits the Sun and how the Moon orbits Earth.
Sometimes the Moon appears as a crescent, sometimes the Moon is full, sometimes it's half lit, sometimes it's not lit at all.
These changes are caused by both the Moon's position relative to the Earth, and the Earth and Moon's position relative to the Sun, since it's sunlight reflecting off the Moon that causes us to see a 'lit' portion.
When describing the the phases of the Moon, 'waxing' refers to the progression from new Moon to full Moon, as the Moon's sunlight portion seems to increase every night.
'Waning' refers to the period from full Moon back to new Moon, as the Moon appears to lose more of its sunlit section every night.
Quick links: jump to Moon phase dates 2024 and Moonrise times 2024
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Stargazing around the Moon
For the best views of deep-sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae and galaxies, observe in the week around new Moon, when the sky is really dark.
If your target is the Moon itself, pick a night when the terminator – the line that marks the boundary between day and night on the lunar surface – sits near the feature you want to see.
At this time the area will be cast in long shadows, which emphasise subtle surface details and make views more dramatic.
In the week around full Moon, its sunlit face is so bright the glare washes out the lunar landscape and makes deep-sky objects harder to view.
Phases of the Moon terminology
The phases of the Moon are as follows:
- New Moon
- Waxing crescent
- First quarter
- Waxing gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Last quarter
- Waning crescent
You can find out more about this via our complete guide to the phases of the Moon, and find out what to observe during each phase on our guide to the crescent Moon, the quarter Moon, the gibbous Moon and the full Moon.
Scroll down for our list of Moon phases and calendar dates for 2024, or get the information in a printable format by downloading our Moon phases 2024 poster (PDF).
Want to see a full Moon? Find out when the next full Moon is visible.
Moon phase dates 2024
4 January: Last quarter
11 January: New Moon
18 January: First quarter
2 February: Last quarter
9 February: New Moon
16 February: First quarter
24 February: Full Moon
3 March: Last quarter
10 March: New Moon
17 March: First quarter
25 March: Full Moon
2 April: Last quarter
8 April: New Moon
15 April: First quarter
24 April: Full Moon
1 May: Last quarter
8 May: New Moon
15 May: First quarter
23 May: Full Moon
30 May: Last quarter
6 June: New Moon
14 June: First quarter
22 June: Full Moon
28 June: Last quarter
5 July: New Moon
13 July: First quarter
21 July: Full Moon
28 July: Last quarter
4 August: New Moon
12 August: First quarter
19 August: Full Moon
26 August: Last quarter
3 September: New Moon
11 September: First quarter
18 September: Full Moon
24 September: Last quarter
2 October: New moon
10 October: First quarter
17 October: Full Moon
24 October: Last quarter
1 November: New Moon
9 November: First quarter
15 November: Full Moon
23 November: Last quarter
1 December: New Moon
8 December: First quarter
15 December: Full Moon
22 December: Last quarter
30 December: New Moon
Moonrise times 2024
All timings are stated as from the centre of the UK, and will vary depending on location.
1 January: 21:59 UT
2 January: 23:11 UT
3 January: --:--:--
4 January: 00:23 UT
5 January: 01:37 UT
6 January: 02:55 UT
7 January: 04:17 UT
8 January: 05:42 UT
9 January: 07:05 UT
10 January: 08:17 UT
11 January: 09:09 UT
12 January: 09:44 UT
13 January: 10:06 UT
14 January: 10:22 UT
15 January: 10:34 UT
16 January: 10:44 UT
17 January: 10:54 UT
18 January: 11:05 UT
19 January: 11:19 UT
20 January: 11:37 UT
21 January: 12:03 UT
22 January: 12:41 UT
23 January: 13:34 UT
24 January: 14:42 UT
25 January: 15:57 UT
26 January: 17:15 UT
27 January: 18:31 UT
28 January: 19:45 UT
29 January: 20:57 UT
30 January: 22:09 UT
31 January: 23:21 UT
1 February: --:--:--
2 February: 00:36 UT
3 February: 01:54 UT
4 February: 03:16 UT
5 February: 04:39 UT
6 February: 05:56 UT
7 February: 06:57 UT
8 February: 07:39 UT
9 February: 08:07 UT
10 February: 08:26 UT
11 February: 08:39 UT
12 February: 08:50 UT
13 February: 09:01 UT
14 February: 09:11 UT
15 February: 09:24 UT
16 February: 09:41 UT
17 February: 10:04 UT
18 February: 10:38 UT
19 February: 11:27 UT
20 February: 12:30 UT
21 February: 13:44 UT
22 February: 15:01 UT
23 February: 16:18 UT
24 February: 17:33 UT
25 February: 18:45 UT
26 February: 19:57 UT
27 February: 21:09 UT
28 February: 22:23 UT
29 February: 23:39 UT
1 March: --:--:--
2 March: 00:59 UT
3 March: 02:20 UT
4 March: 03:38 UT
5 March: 04:45 UT
6 March: 05:34 UT
7 March: 06:07 UT
8 March: 06:28 UT
9 March: 06:44 UT
10 March: 06:56 UT
11 March: 07:07 UT
12 March: 07:17 UT
13 March: 07:29 UT
14 March: 07:44 UT
15 March: 08:05 UT
16 March: 08:36 UT
17 March: 09:20 UT
18 March: 10:20 UT
19 March: 11:31 UT
20 March: 12:48 UT
21 March: 14:05 UT
22 March: 15:21 UT
23 March: 16:34 UT
24 March: 17:46 UT
25 March: 18:58 UT
26 March: 20:11 UT
27 March: 21:27 UT
28 March: 22:46 UT
29 March: --:--:--
30 March: 00:07 UT
31 March: 02:26 BST
1 April: 03:36 BST
2 April: 04:30 BST
3 April: 05:07 BST
4 April: 05:32 BST
5 April: 05:49 BST
6 April: 06:02 BST
7 April: 06:13 BST
8 April: 06:23 BST
9 April: 06:34 BST
10 April: 06:48 BST
11 April: 07:06 BST
12 April: 07:32 BST
13 April: 08:11 BST
14 April: 09:06 BST
15 April: 10:16 BST
16 April: 11:33 BST
17 April: 12:51 BST
18 April: 14:07 BST
19 April: 15:21 BST
20 April: 16:34 BST
21 April: 17:46 BST
22 April: 18:59 BST
23 April: 20:14 BST
24 April 2024: 21:33 BST
25 April 2024: 22:54 BST
26 April 2024: --:--:-- BST
27 April 2024: 00:15 BST
28 April 2024: 01:28 BST
29 April 2024: 02:27 BST
30 April 2024: 03:09 BST
1 May: 03:36 BST
2 May: 03:55 BST
3 May: 04:09 BST
4 May: 04:20 BST
5 May: 04:30 BST
6 May: 04:40 BST
7 May: 04:52 BST
8 May: 05:08 BST
9 May: 05:30 BST
10 May: 06:03 BST
11 May: 06:52 BST
12 May: 07:57 BST
13 May: 09:14 BST
14 May: 10:33 BST
15 May: 11:51 BST
16 May: 13:07 BST
17 May: 14:19 BST
18 May: 15:31 BST
19 May: 16:43 BST
20 May: 17:58 BST
21 May: 19:15 BST
22 May: 20:36 BST
23 May: 21:59 BST
24 May: 23:17 BST
25 May: --:--:-- BST
26 May: 00:22 BST
27 May: 01:09 BST
28 May: 01:40 BST
29 May: 02:01 BST
30 May: 02:16 BST
31 May: 02:28 BST
1 June: 02:38 BST
2 June: 02:47 BST
3 June: 02:58 BST
4 June: 03:12 BST
5 June: 03:31 BST
6 June: 03:58 BST
7 June: 04:39 BST
8 June: 05:38 BST
9 June: 06:52 BST
10 June: 08:12 BST
11 June: 09:32 BST
12 June: 10:49 BST
13 June: 12:03 BST
14 June: 13:15 BST
15 June: 14:27 BST
16 June: 15:40 BST
17 June: 16:56 BST
18 June: 18:15 BST
19 June: 19:37 BST
20 June: 20:58 BST
21 June: 22:10 BST
22 June: 23:05 BST
23 June: 23:42 BST
24 June: --:--:-- BST
25 June: 00:06 BST
26 June: 00:23 BST
27 June: 00:35 BST
28 June: 00:46 BST
29 June: 00:55 BST
30 June: 01:06 BST
1 July: 01:18 BST
2 July: 01:34 BST
3 July: 01:57 BST
4 July: 02:32 BST
5 July: 03:24 BST
6 July: 04:32 BST
7 July: 05:50 BST
8 July: 07:11 BST
9 July: 08:31 BST
10 July: 09:46 BST
11 July: 10:59 BST
12 July: 12:11 BST
13 July: 13:23 BST
14 July: 14:37 BST
15 July: 15:54 BST
16 July: 17:14 BST
17 July: 18:36 BST
18 July: 19:52 BST
19 July: 20:55 BST
20 July: 21:40 BST
21 July: 22:09 BST
22 July: 22:28 BST
23 July: 22:42 BST
24 July: 22:54 BST
25 July: 23:04 BST
26 July: 23:14 BST
27 July: 23:25 BST
28 July: 23:40 BST
29 July: --:--:-- BST
30 July: 00:00 BST
31 July: 00:30 BST
1 August: 01:15 BST
2 August: 02:17 BST
3 August: 03:33 BST
4 August: 04:53 BST
5 August: 06:13 BST
6 August: 07:30 BST
7 August: 08:45 BST
8 August: 09:57 BST
9 August: 11:08 BST
10 August: 12:21 BST
11 August: 13:36 BST
12 August: 14:54 BST
13 August: 16:14 BST
14 August: 17:32 BST
15 August: 18:41 BST
16 August: 19:33 BST
17 August: 20:08 BST
18 August: 20:32 BST
19 August: 20:48 BST
20 August: 21:00 BST
21 August: 21:11 BST
22 August: 21:21 BST
23 August: 21:32 BST
24 August: 21:46 BST
25 August: 22:04 BST
26 August: 22:31 BST
27 August: 23:11 BST
28 August: --:--:-- BST
29 August: 00:08 BST
30 August: 01:20 BST
31 August: 02:39 BST
1 September: 03:59 BST
2 September: 05:16 BST
3 September: 06:31 BST
4 September: 07:44 BST
5 September: 08:56 BST
6 September: 10:08 BST
7 September: 11:22 BST
8 September: 12:38 BST
9 September: 13:57 BST
10 September: 15:15 BST
11 September: 16:27 BST
12 September: 17:25 BST
13 September: 18:06 BST
14 September: 18:34 BST
15 September: 18:52 BST
16 September: 19:06 BST
17 September: 19:17 BST
18 September: 19:28 BST
19 September: 19:38 BST
20 September: 19:51 BST
21 September: 20:07 BST
22 September: 20:31 BST
23 September: 21:07 BST
24 September: 22:00 BST
25 September: 23:08 BST
26 September: --:--:--
27 September: 00:26 BST
28 September: 01:46 BST
29 September: 03:04 BST
30 September: 04:20 BST
1 October: 05:33 BST
2 October: 06:45 BST
3 October: 07:57 BST
4 October: 09:10 BST
5 October: 10:26 BST
6 October: 11:44 BST
7 October: 13:02 BST
8 October: 14:15 BST
9 October: 15:17 BST
10 October: 16:04 BST
11 October: 16:35 BST
12 October: 16:56 BST
13 October: 17:12 BST
14 October: 17:23 BST
15 October: 17:34 BST
16 October: 17:44 BST
17 October: 17:56 BST
18 October: 18:10 BST
19 October: 18:31 BST
20 October: 19:02 BST
21 October: 19:48 BST
22 October: 20:53 BST
23 October: 22:10 BST
24 October: 23:32 BST
25 October: --:--:-- BST
26 October: 00:52 BST
27 October: 01:08 UT
28 October: 02:22 UT
29 October: 03:34 UT
30 October: 04:45 UT
31 October: 05:58 UT
1 November: 07:13 UT
2 November: 08:31 UT
3 November: 09:49 UT
4 November: 11:05 UT
5 November: 12:11 UT
6 November: 13:02 UT
7 November: 13:37 UT
8 November: 14:01 UT
9 November: 14:17 UT
10 November: 14:30 UT
11 November: 14:40 UT
12 November: 14:50 UT
13 November: 15:01 UT
14 November: 15:14 UT
15 November: 15:31 UT
16 November: 15:56 UT
17 November: 16:35 UT
18 November: 17:33 UT
19 November: 18:48 UT
20 November: 20:11 UT
21 November: 21:34 UT
22 November: 22:53 UT
23 November: --:--:--
24 November: 00:08 UT
25 November: 01:21 UT
26 November: 02:32 UT
27 November: 03:44 UT
28 November: 04:59 UT
29 November: 06:15 UT
30 November: 07:34 UT
1 December: 08:52 UT
2 December: 10:03 UT
3 December: 10:59 UT
4 December: 11:39 UT
5 December: 12:05 UT
6 December: 12:24 UT
7 December: 12:37 UT
8 December: 12:48 UT
9 December: 12:57 UT
10 December: 13:07 UT
11 December: 13:18 UT
12 December: 13:33 UT
13 December: 13:54 UT
14 December: 14:25 UT
15 December: 15:14 UT
16 December: 16:22 UT
17 December: 17:44 UT
18 December: 19:09 UT
19 December: 20:32 UT
20 December: 21:50 UT
21 December: 23:05 UT
22 December: --:--:--
23 December: 00:17 UT
24 December: 01:29 UT
25 December: 02:42 UT
26 December: 03:57 UT
27 December: 05:16 UT
28 December: 06:34 UT
29 December: 07:49 UT
30 December: 08:52 UT
31 December: 09:38 UT
