Lunar Phase Calculator
Calculate moon phases for any date. Find new moons, full moons, and lunar illumination.
Puzzle Tips
- • Full moons have traditional names (Harvest Moon, Blue Moon, etc.)
- • The synodic month is approximately 29.53 days
- • Eclipse puzzles often involve lunar cycles
- • Night cache timing may depend on moon illumination
Traditional Full Moon Names
Wolf (Jan)
Snow (Feb)
Worm (Mar)
Pink (Apr)
Flower (May)
Strawberry (Jun)
Buck (Jul)
Sturgeon (Aug)
Harvest (Sep)
Hunter (Oct)
Beaver (Nov)
Cold (Dec)
Lunar Phase Calculator
Calculate the moon phase for any date. This tool shows the current phase, illumination percentage, and upcoming phase dates.
Moon Phases
The Eight Phases
- New Moon: Moon between Earth and Sun, not visible
- Waxing Crescent: Small sliver growing on right
- First Quarter: Right half illuminated
- Waxing Gibbous: More than half, still growing
- Full Moon: Fully illuminated
- Waning Gibbous: More than half, shrinking
- Last Quarter: Left half illuminated
- Waning Crescent: Small sliver on left
The Lunar Cycle
- Synodic Month: 29.53 days (new moon to new moon)
- Sidereal Month: 27.32 days (orbital period)
- Full cycle: About 29.5 days for phases to repeat
In Geocaching
Moon phases appear in puzzles:
- Night caches: Timing for best visibility
- Eclipse themes: Lunar eclipse calculations
- Werewolf caches: Full moon dates
- Calendar puzzles: Finding specific moon phases
- Astronomy themes: Lunar observatories
Traditional Moon Names
Each month's full moon has traditional names from various cultures: Wolf Moon (January), Harvest Moon (September), etc.