Waxing Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 7:47 AM
- Set
- 4:56 PM
Moon Phases December 2024 in Livermore, California
Livermore, California, United States
Daily moon phases, illumination, moonrise and moonset for Livermore, in local time (America/Los_Angeles). Next full moon: Cold Moon on Sunday, December 15.
Livermore · Sunday, December 1, 2024 Today
Waxing Crescent
- Illumination
- 0.5%
- Moon age
- 0.6 days
- Distance
- 394,503 km
- Moonrise
- 7:47 AM
- Moonset
- 4:56 PM
- Highest
- 12:23 PM
at . Next: First Quarter on Sun, Dec 8 at 7:26 AM. Cold Moon in 14 days.
The waxing crescent appears low in the western sky after sunset in the days following new moon, a sliver that grows a little each evening.
Click any day in the calendar or pick a date above to see its details here.
December 2024 calendar
Waxing Crescent
3%
- Rise
- 8:48 AM
- Set
- 5:49 PM
Waxing Crescent
7%
- Rise
- 9:42 AM
- Set
- 6:50 PM
Waxing Crescent
13%
- Rise
- 10:29 AM
- Set
- 7:57 PM
Waxing Crescent
21%
- Rise
- 11:08 AM
- Set
- 9:07 PM
Waxing Crescent
31%
- Rise
- 11:41 AM
- Set
- 10:17 PM
Waxing Crescent
41%
- Rise
- 12:10 PM
- Set
- 11:27 PM
First Quarter
- Rise
- 12:36 PM
- Set
- —
Waxing Gibbous
63%
- Rise
- 1:01 PM
- Set
- 12:36 AM
Waxing Gibbous
74%
- Rise
- 1:28 PM
- Set
- 1:47 AM
Waxing Gibbous
84%
- Rise
- 1:57 PM
- Set
- 2:59 AM
Waxing Gibbous
91%
- Rise
- 2:31 PM
- Set
- 4:14 AM
Waxing Gibbous
97%
- Rise
- 3:12 PM
- Set
- 5:31 AM
Waxing Gibbous
99%
- Rise
- 4:03 PM
- Set
- 6:47 AM
Cold Moon
- Rise
- 5:03 PM
- Set
- 7:56 AM
Waning Gibbous
97%
- Rise
- 6:10 PM
- Set
- 8:55 AM
Waning Gibbous
93%
- Rise
- 7:20 PM
- Set
- 9:43 AM
Waning Gibbous
86%
- Rise
- 8:28 PM
- Set
- 10:21 AM
Waning Gibbous
78%
- Rise
- 9:32 PM
- Set
- 10:51 AM
Waning Gibbous
70%
- Rise
- 10:34 PM
- Set
- 11:17 AM
Waning Gibbous
60%
- Rise
- 11:33 PM
- Set
- 11:39 AM
Last Quarter
- Rise
- —
- Set
- 12:00 PM
Waning Crescent
42%
- Rise
- 12:30 AM
- Set
- 12:21 PM
Waning Crescent
33%
- Rise
- 1:28 AM
- Set
- 12:43 PM
Waning Crescent
24%
- Rise
- 2:27 AM
- Set
- 1:07 PM
Waning Crescent
16%
- Rise
- 3:28 AM
- Set
- 1:35 PM
Waning Crescent
10%
- Rise
- 4:31 AM
- Set
- 2:08 PM
Waning Crescent
5%
- Rise
- 5:34 AM
- Set
- 2:49 PM
Waning Crescent
2%
- Rise
- 6:37 AM
- Set
- 3:39 PM
New Moon
- Rise
- 7:34 AM
- Set
- 4:39 PM
Waxing Crescent
1%
- Rise
- 8:25 AM
- Set
- 5:46 PM
Times are local to Livermore (America/Los_Angeles). A dash means the moon does not rise or set on that date.
Moon phases in December 2024
| Phase | Local date and time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| First Quarter | Sun, Dec 8 at 7:26 AM | Dec 8, 15:26 |
| Full Moon · Cold Moon | Sun, Dec 15 at 1:01 AM | Dec 15, 09:01 |
| Last Quarter | Sun, Dec 22 at 2:18 PM | Dec 22, 22:18 |
| New Moon | Mon, Dec 30 at 2:26 PM | Dec 30, 22:26 |
About the Waxing Crescent
The waxing crescent appears low in the western sky after sunset in the days following new moon, a sliver that grows a little each evening. It sets within a few hours of the Sun, so it is only visible in the early evening. The lit edge always faces the Sun, which is why the horns of the crescent point away from the sunset.
Around this phase the dark portion of the disc often glows faintly with earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth's oceans and clouds.
Lore and folklore
The young crescent has stood for new life and growth for thousands of years, from Mesopotamian seals to the crescents on modern flags. In rural tradition it was the time to start projects, sow leafy crops and cut timber that should not rot. Seeing the new crescent over the right shoulder was lucky; over the left, less so.
Sailors called a crescent tipped like a bowl a wet moon that would hold water and bring rain, or a dry moon if it could spill.
Trivia
- The youngest crescent ever photographed was well under a day old, only hours after new moon.
- From the tropics the crescent lies almost flat like a smile, because the ecliptic stands steeply from the horizon.
- The crescent-and-star symbol predates Islam by centuries; it appeared on coins of Byzantium.
- The Moon moves about 13 degrees eastward against the stars each day, roughly its own width every hour.
Select any day in the calendar to read about its phase.
This month's full moon: the Cold Moon
The December full moon, when winter cold takes hold and nights are longest.
The Long Night Moon, for the night nearest the winter solstice, and the Moon before Yule are older names. It is the highest-riding full moon of the year in the northern hemisphere, opposite the low December sun.
Lore
December's moon comes with the deepest cold and the longest nights, hence the Cold Moon and Long Night Moon. In Anglo-Saxon tradition it was the Moon before Yule, and its light on snow made the long nights unusually bright.
Trivia
- The Cold Moon rides highest of all full moons in the northern hemisphere, opposite the low solstice Sun.
- Around the December solstice the full moon is above the horizon for more than 15 hours at 50 degrees north.
- The Cold Moon is usually the last full moon of the year, but some years a thirteenth follows it as a Blue Moon.
Gardening by the Moon in December 2024
- Dec 1 to Dec 8 · 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.
- Dec 9 to Dec 14 · Fruiting crops: Sow above-ground crops whose seeds form inside the fruit: beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons. Graft, repot and sow lawns.
- Dec 15 to Dec 22 · Root crops: Plant root crops and anything that overwinters: carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs. Prune to slow growth.
- Dec 23 to Dec 30 · Rest and tend: Rest days for the soil: weed, cultivate, turn compost, harvest crops for storage, prune to discourage regrowth, prepare beds. Avoid sowing.
- Dec 31 · 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 December › · How gardening by the moon works
How to read this moon calendar
Each day shows the Moon as it looks from Livermore 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.