First Quarter
- Rise
- 11:33
- Set
- 00:35
Moon Phases April 2020 in Rustaq, Oman
Rustaq, Al Batinah South, Oman
Daily moon phases, illumination, moonrise and moonset for Rustaq, in local time (Asia/Muscat). Next full moon: Pink Moon on Wednesday, April 8.
Rustaq · Wednesday, April 1, 2020 Today
First Quarter
- Illumination
- 49.1%
- Moon age
- 7.9 days
- Distance
- 384,621 km
- Moonrise
- 11:33
- Moonset
- 00:35
- Highest
- 18:31
First Quarter at 14:21. Next: First Quarter on Wed, Apr 1 at 14:21. Pink Moon in 7 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.
April 2020 calendar
Waxing Gibbous
60%
- Rise
- 12:30
- Set
- 01:30
Waxing Gibbous
70%
- Rise
- 13:31
- Set
- 02:23
Waxing Gibbous
80%
- Rise
- 14:35
- Set
- 03:14
Waxing Gibbous
89%
- Rise
- 15:40
- Set
- 04:02
Waxing Gibbous
95%
- Rise
- 16:46
- Set
- 04:47
Waxing Gibbous
99%
- Rise
- 17:51
- Set
- 05:30
Pink Moon
- Rise
- 18:57
- Set
- 06:13
Waning Gibbous
98%
- Rise
- 20:03
- Set
- 06:56
Waning Gibbous
93%
- Rise
- 21:09
- Set
- 07:41
Waning Gibbous
85%
- Rise
- 22:13
- Set
- 08:29
Waning Gibbous
77%
- Rise
- 23:15
- Set
- 09:19
Waning Gibbous
67%
- Rise
- —
- Set
- 10:13
Waning Gibbous
57%
- Rise
- 00:13
- Set
- 11:08
Last Quarter
- Rise
- 01:06
- Set
- 12:04
Waning Crescent
37%
- Rise
- 01:54
- Set
- 12:59
Waning Crescent
27%
- Rise
- 02:36
- Set
- 13:53
Waning Crescent
19%
- Rise
- 03:14
- Set
- 14:45
Waning Crescent
13%
- Rise
- 03:49
- Set
- 15:35
Waning Crescent
7%
- Rise
- 04:22
- Set
- 16:25
Waning Crescent
3%
- Rise
- 04:54
- Set
- 17:14
Waning Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 05:26
- Set
- 18:04
New Moon
- Rise
- 05:59
- Set
- 18:54
Waxing Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 06:33
- Set
- 19:46
Waxing Crescent
5%
- Rise
- 07:11
- Set
- 20:40
Waxing Crescent
10%
- Rise
- 07:52
- Set
- 21:35
Waxing Crescent
16%
- Rise
- 08:37
- Set
- 22:30
Waxing Crescent
24%
- Rise
- 09:27
- Set
- 23:25
Waxing Crescent
34%
- Rise
- 10:22
- Set
- —
Waxing Crescent
44%
- Rise
- 11:21
- Set
- 00:18
Times are local to Rustaq (Asia/Muscat). A dash means the moon does not rise or set on that date.
Moon phases in April 2020
| Phase | Local date and time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| First Quarter | Wed, Apr 1 at 14:21 | Apr 1, 10:21 |
| Full Moon · Pink Moon | Wed, Apr 8 at 06:34 | Apr 8, 02:34 |
| Last Quarter | Wed, Apr 15 at 02:56 | Apr 14, 22:56 |
| New Moon | Thu, Apr 23 at 06:25 | Apr 23, 02:25 |
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 Pink Moon
Not pink at all: named for the early spring wildflower Phlox subulata, the moss pink, one of the first to bloom in April.
Other names are the Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and, for coastal tribes, the Fish Moon when shad swam upstream to spawn. In many years the Pink Moon is the Paschal Moon, the first full moon after the March equinox that fixes Easter.
Lore
The moss pink, Phlox subulata, carpets the ground in early spring, and the April moon took its colour. Coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon for the shad run; farmers called it the Egg Moon for the laying season. It was thought a good moon for planting anything that grows above ground.
Trivia
- The Pink Moon is often the Paschal Moon that sets the date of Easter.
- In 2020 the Pink Moon was the closest supermoon of the year.
- Despite the name, the Moon looks pink only when low in hazy or smoky air.
Gardening by the Moon in April 2020
- Apr 1 to Apr 7 · Fruiting crops: Sow above-ground crops whose seeds form inside the fruit: beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons. Graft, repot and sow lawns.
- Apr 8 to Apr 14 · Root crops: Plant root crops and anything that overwinters: carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs. Prune to slow growth.
- Apr 15 to Apr 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.
- Apr 23 to Apr 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.
Full planting calendar for April › · How gardening by the moon works
How to read this moon calendar
Each day shows the Moon as it looks from Rustaq 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.