First Quarter Moon: Meaning, Next Dates and Best Viewing
Phase 3 of 8, an exact instant
At first quarter the Moon has completed a quarter of its orbit and appears half lit, the right half bright. It rises around midday, stands highest in the south 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, craters and mountains throw long shadows and show more detail than at any other time.
Tonight the Moon is a waning gibbous. Next first quarter (showing UTC):
- Illumination
- 50%
- Moon age
- about 7.4 days
- Rises
- Around midday
- Sets
- Around midnight
Where to look: high in the south at sunset, evening sky. Exact moonrise and moonset for your city are on the moon calendar.
Upcoming first quarter dates
| Date and time (UTC) | Details |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | |
| November 2026 | |
| December 2026 | |
| January 2027 | |
| February 2027 | |
| March 2027 | |
| April 2027 | |
| May 2027 |
Each row is the exact instant of first quarter; it is the same moment everywhere on Earth and the date can differ by a day between time zones.
What the first quarter looks like
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.
Gardening by the Moon
The waxing half of the month, from new moon to full, is the traditional time to sow and plant crops that bear above ground. The second week favours crops that carry their seeds inside the fruit: beans, peppers, tomatoes and squash. See this month's planting calendar ›