What do waxing and waning mean?
Waxing means the visible sunlit part of the Moon is growing. Waning means it is shrinking. A crescent is less than half illuminated; a gibbous Moon is more than half illuminated. These terms describe the Moon’s appearance, not an effect on your mood or luck.
What are the eight Moon phases?
New Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. Last quarter is also called third quarter. One cycle takes about 29.5 days.
Why is a half-lit Moon called a quarter?
Quarter refers to how far the Moon has progressed through the cycle, not how much of its visible disc is illuminated. At first and last quarter, approximately half of the disc looks bright.
Do Moon phases happen at the same time everywhere?
The exact instant of a principal phase is the same worldwide. Its clock time and sometimes its calendar date differ by time zone. Moonrise and moonset also depend on your location. A full moon can reach its exact phase during your daytime.
Why does the Moon look different in Australia?
The orientation changes with the observer’s location and the Moon’s position in the sky. Our phase illustrations use a simplified Northern Hemisphere convention, with waxing light on the right. They show phase, not the precise orientation above your horizon.
What does the percentage on La Lune mean?
It is the fraction of the visible lunar disc illuminated by sunlight. The daily illustration and percentage use a daily reference sample, usually at local noon; the sample time is stated beside the result. Exact new- and full-moon times are separate events. A rounded 100% does not identify the exact full-moon instant.
Sources and further reading
La Lune editorial guide · Updated 28 October 2026. Astronomy describes observable events; astrological meanings are interpretations.