Waxing crescent Moon: next date, how it looks and how long it lasts
The Moon is in its waxing crescent phase now, until : 4 days 3 hours in all, growing from 4% to 31% lit. The next one starts .
The cycle
Where the waxing crescent Moon sits in the cycle
- New Moon
- Waxing crescentNext: , then
- First quarter
- Waxing gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Last quarter
- Waning crescent
What a waxing crescent is
- Angle east of the Sun
- 22.5° to 67.5°
- Share lit
- 4% to 31%
- Moon age
- 1.8 to 5.5 days after new Moon
- Trend
- Growing each night
A waxing crescent is the first stretch of growth after the Moon has gone dark. Sunlight now catches a curved edge of the face, and that edge gets thicker each night while the rest stays in shadow.
The Moon is drawing away from the Sun along its orbit. Against the stars it travels about 13 degrees a day and the Sun about 1, so the gap between them grows by roughly 12 degrees a day and the crescent fattens as it does.
How a waxing crescent looks
A thin curved sliver with its two points, the horns, aimed away from the Sun. In the evening sky of the Northern Hemisphere the lit edge is on the right and the horns tip up and to the left.
Often the rest of the disc glows faintly too. That is earthshine: sunlight bounces off Earth's oceans and clouds onto the Moon's night side and back to your eye. A thin crescent in a dark sky shows it best.
What to look for. Look for the dark part of the disc glowing dull gray beside the bright edge, and for the sharp inner curve where lunar day meets lunar night.
Northern Hemisphere
Lit on the right, the edge facing the Sun that just set.
Start: 4% lit
Middle: 15% lit
End: 31% lit
Southern Hemisphere
Lit on the left, with the horns leaning up and to the right.
Start: 4% lit
Middle: 15% 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
- Earthshine is strongest in the days around new Moon, because seen from the Moon the Earth is then nearly full and very bright.
- Islamic months begin when the first crescent is sighted.
- A crescent does not start the moment the Moon turns new; the first one is usually spotted a day or more afterward.
When to look for it
A waxing crescent follows the Sun down. You find it low in the west as the sky darkens after sunset, and it sets within a few hours. In the morning it rises a little after the Sun and crosses the sky in full daylight, where the thin edge is lost in the glare.
The first hour or two after sunset is the window, and the crescent sets later each evening, so the end of the phase gives the longest viewing time. Near the equator the crescent often lies on its back like a bowl, because the Sun sets almost straight down there.
With the Sun rising at 6 am and setting at 6 pm, a waxing crescent typically:
- Rises around
- 7:30 am to 10:30 am
- Is highest around
- 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
- Sets around
- 7:30 pm to 10:30 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 a waxing crescent lasts
- Average length
- 3.69 days, an eighth of the cycle
- This cycle
- 4 days 3 hours
- Shortest of the six
- 3 days 11 hours
- Longest of the six
- 4 days 4 hours
A waxing crescent opens the cycle, right after new Moon, so its length depends on how far the Moon is from Earth at that point. If new Moon falls near the closest point of the orbit the Moon moves fastest and the crescent phase is short; near the farthest point it is slow and the phase stretches.
The next six, in your time zone
| Starts | Ends | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| (in progress) | 4 days 3 hours | |
| 4 days 4 hours | ||
| 4 days 1 hour | ||
| 3 days 20 hours | ||
| 3 days 15 hours | ||
| 3 days 11 hours |
Questions people ask
Quick answers
What is a waxing crescent Moon?
The Moon is in this phase while the angle between the Sun and the Moon runs from 22.5° to 67.5°. The share of the disc that is lit runs 4% to 31%.
How long does the waxing crescent Moon last?
The next one lasts 4 days 3 hours. Over the cycle the six non-principal phases last between about 3.4 and 4 days each.
When is the next waxing crescent 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 waxing crescent 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 waxing crescent 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.