Waning Gibbous Moon: Meaning, Dates and When to See It
Phase 6 of 8, lasting about a week
After full moon the lit portion shrinks from the right side (northern hemisphere), and the Moon is a waning gibbous. It rises later each night, an hour or so after sunset at first and near midnight a week later, and is still up in the western sky after sunrise. It is the phase you notice in the morning, pale against a blue sky.
Now The Moon is a waning gibbous tonight
to
- Illumination
- 99% to 51%
- Moon age
- 15 to 21 days
- Rises
- Mid to late evening
- Sets
- Mid-morning
Where to look: late evening to morning. Exact moonrise and moonset for your city are on the moon calendar.
Upcoming waning gibbous dates
| From | To | Length |
|---|---|---|
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 6.9 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 6.7 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 6.6 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 6.7 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 6.9 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 7.2 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 7.6 days |
| (Full Moon) | (Last Quarter) | 7.9 days |
The waning gibbous runs from one principal phase to the next, so each window lasts about a week.
What the waning gibbous looks like
After full moon the lit portion begins to shrink from the side it first grew on, and the Moon is waning gibbous. It rises after sunset, later each night, and is still up after sunrise, which is why this is the phase most often noticed in the western sky in the morning.
By the end of this phase the Moon rises around midnight and is well placed for anyone awake in the small hours.
Lore and folklore
The waning moon was traditionally the time for finishing and clearing: harvesting, weeding, pruning and any work meant to reduce or remove. Almanacs advised planting root crops and perennials in the third quarter, when energy was thought to move down into the roots.
Folk remedies were said to work best on a waning moon, drawing ailments away as the light shrank.
Trivia
- The lit edge now faces east, toward the morning Sun, so the horns of the shrinking moon point west.
- The waning gibbous rises about 50 minutes later each night on average, the same lag that shifts the tides.
- Photographers like this phase for lunar detail in the comfortable pre-dawn sky.
- The far side of the Moon is never permanently dark; it has its own day and night like the near side.
Gardening by the Moon
The waning half of the month, from full moon to new, is the traditional time for root crops, bulbs, perennials, pruning and weeding. The week after full moon favours carrots, onions, potatoes and other roots. See this month's planting calendar ›