Third quarter Moon (last quarter): next date, how it looks and how long it lasts
The next last quarter Moon starts and ends . It lasts 3 days 14 hours this cycle, with the Moon shrinking from 69% to 31% lit.
Third quarter and last quarter are two names for the same phase. Third quarter counts how far the Moon has gone around its orbit: three quarters of the way from one new Moon to the next. Last quarter counts what is left: the final quarter before the next new Moon. Almanacs usually print last quarter, while many apps and calendars say third quarter.
The cycle
Where the last quarter Moon sits in the cycle
- New Moon
- Waxing crescent
- First quarter
- Waxing gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Last quarterNext: , then
- Waning crescent
What the last quarter is
- Angle east of the Sun
- 247.5° to 292.5°
- Share lit
- 69% down to 31%
- Moon age
- 20.3 to 24.0 days after new Moon
- Trend
- Shrinking each night
Half the disc is lit again, but it is the other half from the one you saw at first quarter. The Moon has gone three quarters of the way around its orbit, and the shrinking is well under way.
At the exact last quarter the Sun-Moon angle is 270 degrees: the Moon sits a right angle to the west of the Sun. The exact quarter is a single instant; the phase carrying the name lasts a few days around it.
How the last quarter looks
A half disc with its lit half on the left in the Northern Hemisphere. The straight edge is the line where the Sun is setting on the Moon, so the relief is shadowed again, now from the other side.
In the morning the bright half faces the eastern horizon where the Sun is about to rise, which is why this quarter often looks like a pale cup held toward the dawn.
What to look for. Look for a pale half Moon still hanging in a blue sky after sunrise, high in the south, with its flat edge turned toward the right.
Northern Hemisphere
The left half is lit.
Start: 69% lit
Middle: 50% lit
End: 31% lit
Southern Hemisphere
The right half is lit.
Start: 69% lit
Middle: 50% lit
End: 31% lit
The Moon at the start, the middle and the end of this phase; the Southern Hemisphere sees each disc upside down.
Good to know
- The Moon's age at the exact last quarter is about 22.1 days, three quarters of the cycle.
- Neap tides come at both quarters, so this is the second small-tide pair of the lunar month.
When the last quarter is up
A last quarter Moon rises around midnight and stands at its highest near sunrise, in the south from the Northern Hemisphere and in the north from the Southern. It sets around noon, so it is the half Moon of the morning.
It is the quarter most people miss, since the evening is moonless and the Moon only shows after most of us are in bed. On the way to school or work, though, it often hangs in a daylit sky.
With sunrise at 6 am and sunset at 6 pm, a last quarter Moon typically:
- Rises around
- 11 pm to 2 am
- Is highest around
- 5 am to 8 am
- Sets around
- 11 am to 2 pm
The season and your latitude can move these times by an hour or two. For your own moonrise and moonset, open the moonrise and moonset page.
How long the last quarter lasts
- Average length
- 3.69 days, an eighth of the cycle
- Next one
- 3 days 14 hours
- Shortest of the six
- 3 days 14 hours
- Longest of the six
- 4 days 3 hours
The window reaches close to two days either side of the exact quarter. The exact instant is not always in the exact middle, because the Moon's speed changes as it travels.
The next six, in your time zone
| Starts | Exact last quarter | Ends | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days 14 hours | |||
| 3 days 18 hours | |||
| 3 days 21 hours | |||
| 4 days 1 hour | |||
| 4 days 3 hours | |||
| 4 days 3 hours |
Questions people ask
Quick answers
What is a last quarter Moon?
The Moon is in this phase while the angle between the Sun and the Moon runs from 247.5° to 292.5°. The share of the disc that is lit runs 69% down to 31%.
How long does the last quarter Moon last?
The next one lasts 3 days 14 hours. Over the cycle the six non-principal phases last between about 3.4 and 4 days each.
When is the next last quarter Moon?
The start and end dates are at the top of this page and in the table of the next six, in your time zone.
Does the last quarter Moon look different in the Southern Hemisphere?
Yes. The same phase is the other way round: the lit side that is on the right in the north shows on the left in the south.
Can I see the last quarter Moon in daylight?
Often, because every phase except the new Moon spends some of its time above the horizon in the day. It is easiest to spot when it stands high in a clear sky.