Phase 2 of 8 · UK
Waxing Crescent Moon
Not right now. The Moon is in its waning crescent phase (4% lit). The next waxing crescent Moon starts and lasts 4.1 days.
- 4–31% lit
- Lit on the right
- Moon age 1.8–5.5 days
Next waxing crescent Moon dates in UK time (GMT or BST)
| Starts | Ends | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Open in the calendar | 4.1 days | |
| Open in the calendar | 4.1 days | |
| Open in the calendar | 4.0 days |
The Moon is waxing crescent from each start time to the end time beside it. The phase lasts about 3.7 days on average, between three and four days in practice.
Time zone: Europe/London
Waxing crescent Moon from the UK
A thin curved edge lit on the right-hand side, its horns pointing away from the Sun, which has just set below the western horizon. The unlit part is not quite black: on the first evenings earthshine, sunlight bounced back from the Earth, lights it faintly.
Look west or south-west once the sky has darkened. The Moon sets a little later each evening, so the best window is the first hours after sunset. The first thin crescent after a new Moon is usually seen one to two days later, low over the horizon.
| Day | Lit | Moonrise | Moonset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 11 NovPhase starts | 5% | ||
| Fri 13 NovMiddle | 16% | ||
| Sun 15 NovPhase ends | 32% |
Rise and set times are for central London on the dates of the next waxing crescent Moon. Moonrise and moonset for any UK place.
What waxing crescent means
Waxing means the lit part grows from one night to the next. Crescent is a lit shape smaller than a half disc, with its inner edge curving the same way as its outer edge.
It begins when the Moon is about 4% lit, roughly two days after new Moon, and ends at about 31% lit when first quarter takes over.
In Moon lore. Often associated with first steps, sowing and building momentum.