First Quarter
- Rise
- 13:03
- Set
- 03:45
Moon Phases March 2031 in Bole, China
Bole, Xinjiang, China
Daily moon phases, illumination, moonrise and moonset for Bole, in local time (Asia/Shanghai). Next full moon: Worm Moon on Sunday, March 9.
Bole · Saturday, March 1, 2031 Today
First Quarter
- Illumination
- 50.1%
- Moon age
- 7.5 days
- Distance
- 402,841 km
- Moonrise
- 13:03
- Moonset
- 03:45
- Highest
- 20:49
First Quarter at 12:02. Next: First Quarter on Sat, Mar 1 at 12:02. Worm Moon in 8 days.
At first quarter the Moon has completed a quarter of its orbit, and exactly half of the visible disc is lit: the right half in the northern hemisphere, the left in the southern.
Click any day in the calendar or pick a date above to see its details here.
March 2031 calendar
Waxing Gibbous
59%
- Rise
- 13:51
- Set
- 04:36
Waxing Gibbous
69%
- Rise
- 14:43
- Set
- 05:22
Waxing Gibbous
77%
- Rise
- 15:40
- Set
- 06:02
Waxing Gibbous
84%
- Rise
- 16:40
- Set
- 06:37
Waxing Gibbous
91%
- Rise
- 17:42
- Set
- 07:09
Waxing Gibbous
96%
- Rise
- 18:46
- Set
- 07:37
Waxing Gibbous
99%
- Rise
- 19:51
- Set
- 08:04
Worm Moon
- Rise
- 20:57
- Set
- 08:30
Waning Gibbous
99%
- Rise
- 22:05
- Set
- 08:57
Waning Gibbous
95%
- Rise
- 23:14
- Set
- 09:25
Waning Gibbous
90%
- Rise
- —
- Set
- 09:56
Waning Gibbous
82%
- Rise
- 00:25
- Set
- 10:31
Waning Gibbous
73%
- Rise
- 01:35
- Set
- 11:13
Waning Gibbous
63%
- Rise
- 02:42
- Set
- 12:03
Last Quarter
- Rise
- 03:44
- Set
- 13:01
Waning Crescent
40%
- Rise
- 04:39
- Set
- 14:07
Waning Crescent
29%
- Rise
- 05:26
- Set
- 15:17
Waning Crescent
19%
- Rise
- 06:06
- Set
- 16:30
Waning Crescent
11%
- Rise
- 06:41
- Set
- 17:43
Waning Crescent
5%
- Rise
- 07:12
- Set
- 18:55
Waning Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 07:40
- Set
- 20:06
New Moon
- Rise
- 08:08
- Set
- 21:16
Waxing Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 08:37
- Set
- 22:24
Waxing Crescent
5%
- Rise
- 09:07
- Set
- 23:30
Waxing Crescent
10%
- Rise
- 09:40
- Set
- —
Waxing Crescent
16%
- Rise
- 10:16
- Set
- 00:33
Waxing Crescent
24%
- Rise
- 10:58
- Set
- 01:32
Waxing Crescent
33%
- Rise
- 11:44
- Set
- 02:26
Waxing Crescent
42%
- Rise
- 12:35
- Set
- 03:14
First Quarter
- Rise
- 13:30
- Set
- 03:57
Times are local to Bole (Asia/Shanghai). A dash means the moon does not rise or set on that date.
Moon phases in March 2031
| Phase | Local date and time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| First Quarter | Sat, Mar 1 at 12:02 | Mar 1, 04:02 |
| Full Moon · Worm Moon | Sun, Mar 9 at 12:29 | Mar 9, 04:29 |
| Last Quarter | Sun, Mar 16 at 14:35 | Mar 16, 06:35 |
| New Moon | Sun, Mar 23 at 11:49 | Mar 23, 03:49 |
| First Quarter | Mon, Mar 31 at 08:32 | Mar 31, 00:32 |
About the First Quarter
At first quarter the Moon has completed a quarter of its orbit, and exactly half of the visible disc is lit: the right half in the northern hemisphere, the left in the southern. It rises around midday, is highest at sunset and sets around midnight, which makes it the most convenient phase for evening observing.
Along the terminator, the line between light and dark, the low Sun casts long shadows that make craters and mountains stand out sharply in binoculars.
Lore and folklore
Half moons stood for balance and decision in many traditions: half light, half dark. Farmers' almanacs treated the first quarter as a strong growing time, good for planting crops that bear seed inside the fruit, such as beans, peppers and tomatoes.
Weather lore held that a sharp, clear half moon foretold fine weather, while a blurred one meant rain.
Trivia
- The name is about the orbit, not the appearance: a quarter of the way around, half of the face lit.
- The straight-looking terminator is a great circle seen edge-on.
- At first quarter the Moon is about 90 degrees east of the Sun, which is why it is high overhead as the Sun goes down.
- The Apollo landing sites are easiest to study near the terminator, when shadows reveal the terrain.
Select any day in the calendar to read about its phase.
This month's full moon: the Worm Moon
The last full moon of winter, named for the earthworms and beetle larvae that appear as the ground thaws.
Another reading credits beetle larvae emerging from tree bark. The Crow Moon, Sap Moon and Lenten Moon are alternatives. When it falls before the March equinox it is the last full moon of winter; after it, the first of spring, which sets the date of Easter in the Christian calendar.
Lore
The March moon marked the thaw: the return of earthworms, robins and rising sap. In Europe it was the Lenten Moon when it fell before the equinox, or the Paschal Moon that fixes Easter when it fell after. Old lore watched it for signs of a late frost.
Trivia
- Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21, so the Worm Moon or Pink Moon decides the date.
- Some scholars trace the Worm Moon to beetle larvae emerging from bark rather than to earthworms.
- The equinox full moon rises almost exactly due east.
Gardening by the Moon in March 2031
- Mar 1 to Mar 8 · Fruiting crops: Sow above-ground crops whose seeds form inside the fruit: beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons. Graft, repot and sow lawns.
- Mar 9 to Mar 15 · Root crops: Plant root crops and anything that overwinters: carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs. Prune to slow growth.
- Mar 16 to Mar 22 · Rest and tend: Rest days for the soil: weed, cultivate, turn compost, harvest crops for storage, prune to discourage regrowth, prepare beds. Avoid sowing.
- Mar 23 to Mar 30 · Leafy crops: Sow leafy crops and above-ground annuals whose seeds form outside the fruit: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, celery, herbs. Transplant seedlings. Mow to encourage growth.
- Mar 31 · Fruiting crops: Sow above-ground crops whose seeds form inside the fruit: beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons. Graft, repot and sow lawns.
Full planting calendar for March › · How gardening by the moon works
How to read this moon calendar
Each day shows the Moon as it looks from Bole at midday local time, with the illuminated percentage, moonrise and moonset. Days with a principal phase show the exact local time the phase occurs. Because the Moon moves about 50 minutes later each day, roughly once a month there is a date with no moonrise or no moonset at all.
The eight phases of the Moon
New Moon
The Moon sits between Earth and the Sun. Its lit side faces away from us, so it is invisible in the night sky. A new lunar month begins.
Waxing Crescent
A thin sliver grows each evening after sunset. Look low in the west shortly after dusk.
First Quarter
Half the disc is lit. The Moon rises around midday and sets around midnight, so it is high in the sky at sunset.
Waxing Gibbous
More than half lit and growing. It rises in the afternoon and shines most of the night.
Full Moon
The whole face is lit. It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Each full moon carries a traditional name.
Waning Gibbous
The lit portion shrinks. It rises after sunset and is still up in the morning sky.
Last Quarter
Half lit again, on the opposite side. It rises around midnight and is best seen in the early morning.
Waning Crescent
A thinning sliver before dawn in the east, fading toward the next new moon.