by This page was updated on October 1, 2022.
Today, October 1, 2022the moon is 6 days and is located in candle crescent phase of its lunar cycle. is 34% illuminated.
In October 2022, the phases of the Moon occur on these days:
First Quarter: 2 Oct
Full moon: 9 Oct
Last quarter: 17 Oct
New Moon: 25 Oct
The phases of the Moon reveal the passage of time in the night sky. Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright. sometimes it’s just a streak of silver light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits the Earth, it goes through eight distinct phases. The four main phases of the moon occur about a week apart, with the full moon at its most dazzling. See amazing photos of the 2022 Harvest Moon from observers around the world last month on September 10!
Tariq Malik
Tariq is the editor-in-chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001. He covers skywatching, human spaceflight, exploration as well as space science and entertainment, and enjoys observing the moon through a Celestron tabletop telescope when the weather is clear.
What is the phase of the moon tonight?
While the moon has four distinct phases each month, it is always changing.
As you observe the moon throughout the month, watch as it grows from a new moon to a first quarter moon. As it waxes, it is known as a waxing moon and gradually increases from a waxing “half” (for its shape in the first quarter of the moon. As it continues to brighten, it takes on an oblong or “waning” shape until it reaches the full moon stage.
It will then repeat the steps in reverse as it heads back to a new moon. You can see what today’s moon phase is here with the embedded widget on this page, courtesy of In-The-Sky.org (opens in new tab).
What is the next phase of the Moon?
After the new moon on September 25th, the next lunar phase milestone will be the First quarter of the Moon on Sunday, October 2 at 8:14 p.m. EDT (0014 October 3 GMT).
The first quarter moon, also known as the first half moon of the month because the moon appears half lit as seen from Earth, marks the time when the moon is one quarter of its lunar cycle and journey around Earth.
“People might casually call it a half moon, but remember, that’s not really what you see in the sky,” NASA wrote in a statement. “You see only a piece of the whole moon – half of the illuminated half.”
The first quarter moon rises around noon and sets around midnight, according to NASA. That means it will appear high in the evening sky, making it a great time for lunar viewing, the agency added.
Moon phase calendar for 2022
Here are the moon phases for 2022, according to NASA’s SKYCAL (opens in new tab). Times and dates are in UTC time. If you need equipment to view the moon, check out our guide to the best telescopes and the best telescopes for kids.
You can also check out our guide on how to photograph the moon, as well as how to photograph a lunar eclipse for major lunar events. There’s even a guide on how to photograph a solar eclipse.
If you’re looking for imaging gear, our best astrophotography cameras and best lenses for astrophotography guides can help you prepare for your next lunar viewing.
| New Moon | First quarter | Full moon | Last quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2, 1:33 pm | January 9, 1:11 pm | January 17, 6:48 pm | January 25 8:41 am |
| February 1, 12:46 am | February 8, 8:50 am | February 16, 11:57 am | February 23, 5:32 pm |
| March 2, 12:35 p.m | March 10, 5:45 am | March 18, 3:17 am | March 25, 1:37 am |
| April 1, 2:24 am | April 9, 2:48 am | April 16, 2:55 p.m | April 23, 7:56 am |
| April 30 4:28 pm | May 8, 8:21 pm | May 16, 12:14 am | May 22, 2:43 pm |
| May 30, 7:30 am | June 7, 10:48 am | June 14, 7:52 am | June 20, 11:11 pm |
| June 28, 10:52 pm | July 6, 10:14 pm | July 13 2:37 pm | July 20, 10:18 am |
| July 28, 1:55 pm | August 5, 7:06 am | August 11, 9:36 pm | August 19, 12:36 am |
| August 27, 4:17 am | September 3, 2:08 pm | September 10, 5:59 am | September 17, 5:52 pm |
| September 25, 5:54 pm | October 2, 8:14 pm | October 9, 4:55 pm | October 17, 1:15 p.m |
| October 25, 6:49 am | November 1, 1:37 am | November 8, 6:02 am | November 16, 8:27 am |
| November 23, 5:57 pm | November 30, 9:36 am | December 7, 11:08 pm | December 16, 3:56 am |
| December 23, 5:17 am | December 29, 8:20 p.m |
Phases of the moon
(opens in new tab)
The moon, like the Earth, is a sphere and is always half-illuminated by the sun. As the moon travels around the Earth, we see more or less of the illuminated half. Moon phases describe how illuminated the moon’s disc is from our perspective.
New Moon: The moon is between the Earth and the sun, and the side of the moon that faces us does not receive direct sunlight. illuminated only by faint sunlight reflected from Earth.
Crescent with candle: As the moon moves around the Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight.
First quarter: The moon is 90 degrees from the sun in the sky and is half lit from our perspective. We call it “first quarter” because the moon has traveled about a quarter of the way around Earth since new moon.
Waxing: The lighting area continues to increase. More than half of the moon’s face appears to receive sunlight.
Full moon: The moon is 180 degrees from the sun and is as close as it gets to being fully illuminated by the sun from our perspective. The sun, Earth, and moon are aligned, but because the moon’s orbit is not exactly in the same plane as the Earth’s orbit around the sun, they rarely form a perfect line. When they do, we have a lunar eclipse as the Earth’s shadow crosses the face of the moon.
Skinny heavy: More than half of the moon’s face appears to be receiving sunlight, but the amount is decreasing.
Last quarter: The moon has moved another quarter of the way around the Earth, to the third quarter position. Sunlight is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon.
Waning crescent moon: Less than half of the moon’s face appears to receive sunlight, and the amount is decreasing.
Finally, the moon returns to its original new moon position. Now, the moon is between the Earth and the sun. Usually, the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes directly in front of the sun and we have a solar eclipse.
Additional moon phase resources
NASA SkyCal Calendar of Events (opens in new tab) offers a comprehensive calendar with moon phases, lunar and solar eclipses and more for the entire calendar year. You can see more about the 2022 full moons at Space.com’s Full Moon Calendar. Our night sky guide has a list of sky-watching events this month.
Bibliography
SkyCal – SkyEvents Calendar, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html
What’s Up – Skywatching Tips from NASA
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/
