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The lunar calendar tracks the phases of the Moon in real time through the month and the year: new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter, along with the waxing and waning intermediate phases. Our satellite completes a full cycle in 29.53 days on average, the synodic lunation. This tool displays for each day the current phase, the Moon's age, and its zodiac sign. It is aimed at sky watchers, gardeners, astrology practitioners, and anyone interested in cosmic rhythms.
A lunar calendar is a system for measuring time based on the successive phases of the Moon. Historically, it is the oldest known type of calendar: the Sumerians, Babylonians, Hebrews, and Arabs all used lunar or lunisolar calendars. The synodic month, the interval between two new moons, lasts about 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. The four major phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter) alternate with intermediate phases: waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, waning crescent. Our tool renders this continuous progression day after day.
To consult the lunar calendar, select the date you want, or let the tool show the current phase. For finer astronomical precision, you can also enter your time zone or your place: the exact moment of a full moon differs slightly depending on the observation meridian. The calendar displays for each day: the main phase, the lunar disk illumination percentage, the Moon's age in days since the last new moon, and the zodiac sign it crosses. This information rests on standard astronomical ephemerides.
In the European agricultural tradition, the waxing moon is tied to growth and above-ground sowing, the waning moon to ripening and root harvests. In astrology, the new moon marks a new cycle of intent, the full moon a phase of fulfillment. These symbolic correspondences run across cultures without, for the most part, having been validated by scientific research. Use the calendar as a cultural and rhythmic reference, not as an absolute rule.
Twelve on average, sometimes thirteen. Since the solar year has 365.25 days and the lunar cycle 29.53 days, a thirteenth full moon sometimes slips in. When a civil month contains two full moons, the second is sometimes called a blue moon, an expression popularized in the 20th century.
A supermoon is a full moon that occurs while the Moon is near perigee, the point in its orbit closest to Earth. The disk then appears about 14% larger and 30% brighter than at apogee. The term was introduced by the astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
Scientific studies published to date give mixed and weak results. A few works suggest slight variations in sleep around the full moon, but no major influence on mood or health has been clearly established. Popular beliefs remain culturally very widespread.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth sits between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the lunar disk. It only takes place at the full moon and only when the alignment is precise enough, which happens two to four times a year. Astrologers lend it strong symbolic weight.