The phases of the moon
| Phase | Days after new moon | When it is up |
|---|---|---|
| New moon | 0 | Up during the day, next to the sun; not visible |
| Waxing crescent | 1 to 6 | Evening sky in the west after sunset |
| First quarter | about 7.4 | Afternoon and first half of the night |
| Waxing gibbous | 8 to 14 | Most of the evening and night |
| Full moon | about 14.8 | All night, rising around sunset |
| Waning gibbous | 15 to 21 | Late evening to morning |
| Last quarter | about 22.1 | Second half of the night and the morning |
| Waning crescent | 23 to 29 | Early morning sky in the east before sunrise |
The moon does not make its own light. Its phase is how much of the sunlit half we can see from Earth as it orbits us once every 29.5 days, the time from one new moon to the next.
Best nights for stargazing and photos
For the darkest skies and the Milky Way, go out in the days around the new moon, when there is no moonlight. For photos of the moon itself, a few days either side of first or last quarter is best, because the low sun angle along the edge of the lit part shows craters in sharp relief. A full moon close to the horizon just after it rises, around sunset, looks large and orange and lights up the landscape; check the moonrise time above and the sunset time for the same place.