Understanding and tracking moon phases is important because this cycle affects many things on Earth. Human behavior, animal mating and the tides have all been shown to be affected by the moon.
So in this article, you'll learn the names of the phases of the moon, how they can affect life on Earth and easy ways to track the current moon phase so you can start to understand how the moon affects you.
The Moon Phases Explained
The moon goes through 8 phases during the course of a full lunar cycle, which is called a synodic month.
It takes approximately 29.53 days to complete a full cycle, but this amount of time can vary slightly, depending on the gravitational interaction of the moon with other celestial bodies.
Although scientists have classified the moon into 8 phases, there's no need to get super technical about it.
I like to think about it as a gradual progression from New Moon to Full Moon, and back again.
So I'll primarily be focusing on these 2 phases.
But I'll also provide a brief description of the other phases.
New Moon
A new moon is often associated with new beginnings.
This is when the moon appears completely dark to the naked eye.
It's a good time to reflect and decide what to do next.
In China, the new moon marked the beginning of the lunar month, and it was a time to honor household and ancestral spirits.
Offerings of food and incense were made to deities and ancestors, and doors and windows might be adorned with red paper cutouts and couplets for good luck and protection.
Waxing Crescent
The waxing crescent moon phase occurs shortly after the new moon when a thin sliver of the moon's disc is illuminated and begins to increase in size.
This phase is visible in the western sky just after sunset and signifies the beginning of the moon's journey towards fullness.
It is the period between the new moon and the first quarter moon.
First Quarter
The first quarter moon phase occurs approximately one week after the new moon when half of the moon's disc is illuminated by direct sunlight and is visible from Earth.
This phase marks the midpoint between the new moon and the full moon, with the right half of the moon in the northern hemisphere (and the left half in the southern hemisphere) appearing lit.
It is a time when the moon is increasing in light, leading up to the full moon phase.
Waxing Gibbous
The waxing gibbous moon phase occurs after the first quarter moon and before the full moon.
During this phase, more than half of the Moon's surface is illuminated, and the illuminated portion is gradually increasing in size each night.
The waxing gibbous phase represents the Moon's transition from partial illumination towards the brightness of the full moon.
Full Moon
The entire face of the Moon that is visible from Earth is illuminated during the full moon.
A full moon often signifies the end of a natural cycle.
Many Native American tribes paid special attention to the full moon and named each one according to the seasonal activities or natural phenomena that occurred at that time.
For example, the Algonquin tribes of North America called the full moon in June the “Strawberry Moon” because it signaled the time to gather ripening strawberries.
Each full moon was a time to gather and celebrate the natural world's rhythms, with ceremonies and storytelling that passed on knowledge and traditions from one generation to the next.
Waning Gibbous
The waning gibbous moon phase occurs after the full moon and before the last quarter moon.
During this phase, more than half of the Moon's surface is illuminated, but the illuminated portion is gradually decreasing in size each night.
The waning gibbous phase represents the Moon's transition from full illumination towards the darkness of the last quarter phase.
Last Quarter
The last quarter moon phase occurs when half of the Moon's face is illuminated, with the illuminated portion decreasing in size.
This phase marks the halfway point between the full moon and the new moon in the lunar cycle.
The last quarter moon appears as a half-circle in the sky, with the illuminated side on the left side (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the dark side on the right.
Waning Crescent
The waning crescent moon phase is the final stage of the lunar cycle, occurring just before the new moon, when a slim, curved sliver of the moon's disc is illuminated and decreasing in size.
This phase is visible in the eastern sky before dawn and signifies the moon's transition towards a new cycle.
It follows the third quarter moon and precedes the new moon.
Now that you know the phases of the moon, let's take a look at how it affects
How the Moon Affects the Earth
Now that you know how to identify the phases of the moon, your next question is probably:
Does the moon actually affect the earth?
The short answer is yes.
Let's take a look at a few specific ways that we are affected by the moon phases.
Tides
The most noticeable way that the moon affects the earth is how it changes the tides in the ocean.
These changes are predictable and well known.
Surfers, sailors and fisherman always check the tides so they will have favorable conditions.
But have you considered that since the human body is over 60% water, the moon is probably affecting the water in our bodies too?
Here are a few examples.
Human Behavior
The moon can also affect how we feel and behave.
In a 2016 study, it was shown that outdoor crimes between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am increased with the increasing intensity of the moon.
I found it interesting that the study attributed the behavior to the light of the moon itself, so
Another study tracked the behavior of a group of bipolar individuals over a period of 37.5 years and found a strong correlation between their mood and moon phases.
Although only 17 people were tracked in this study, the results clearly showed that behavior was correlated.
There has also been some evidence that the moon can affect sleep patterns. This study found that deep sleep around a full moon decreased by about 30%.
Animal Behavior
It's been well documented that animals from fish to birds are affected by the moon's cycles.
Another huge moon-driven cycle in the animal kingdom is the spawning of coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
On one night in November under the full moon, about 130 species of coral spawn at the same time.
Those who have seen it say that it's quite an experience to witness this event.
That's just one of the many ways that the moon cycles affect animal behavior.
Plant Growth Patterns
This will probably be the most interesting topic to you because it's most in line with the goals of this website.
Planting based on moon cycles has been done for as long as anyone can remember.
Isabella Guerrini, at the University of Perugia in Italy studied the sap flow in plants and found that more fluid flows during a full moon, slowing as the moon wanes.
Gardeners who are aware of this can avoid pruning plants around the time of a full moon to reduce the impact of the cutting.
Another study showed that plants will grow better if they are planted during a full moon.
Again, there are many more examples of how the moon can affect plant growth, too many to get into in this article.
So if you're interested in this, be sure to do your own research and find out how you can use that information
The Easiest Ways to Track the Current Phase of the Moon
There are 3 easy ways to track which phase the moon is currently in.
The simplest way to see the current moon phase is to use a free website.
There are many, but this is a good one.
I like that one because you can see a calendar of the entire month and what the moon will be like on each day.
The second way to track the moon is to use a mobile app.
Simply download the app and open it periodically to see what phase the moon is currently in. Some apps may have a feature that allows you to see the current phase of the moon on the home screen.
My favorite moon phase app is currently Daff Moon Phase. It's free and works well on my Android phone.
When I open it up, it shows the current phase of the moon and has a ton of other features like where the other planets are in the sky, a star map and more.
Unfortunately, this app is not available on iOS, so if you have an iPhone, you'll have to find an alternative.
A third way to track the current phase of the moon is to buy a moon phase watch.
This solution is useful because you'll see the current moon phase, whenever you check the time.
Smart watches like Apple Watch and Pixel Watch probably have moon phase apps, so look into those if you're interested.
I'm not familiar with those devices, so I can't recommend anything.
I personally prefer using an old school digital watch, without any “smart” capabilities.
You can see the moon indicator in the upper right corner of the screen.
There are mechanical watches that have moon phase complications, but since the synodic month is not a round number, it's difficult to track it with gears in a mechanical device.
Casio has a ton of great options, from really cheap to high end. You can currently get a Casio digital moon phase watch for as little as $25.
My personal choice is a Casio G-Shock from the G-Lide series. These are primarily targeted at surfers and track the tides and moon phases.
The first watch I owned as a kid was a G-Shock and I still love how these watches look and how durable they are.
I did a fun modification project on my watch and I'm happy how it turned out.
If you want to do something similar, here's the parts list for this project:
- Casio GWX-5600C (in white, but there is also red and black available)
- Stainless Steel black bezel
- JaysandKays strap adapter
- Ritche military band
But regardless if you use an app or a physical watch to track the moon phases, having something to monitor the moon will help you stay in touch with what's going on with this important celestial body.
Final Thoughts
Being in sync with the cycles of the earth is something that our ancestors did to work with the world around them. It helped them grow more food and know the best times to catch fish.
If you want to find out how the moon affects you and the environment around you, start tracking the current moon phase and make note of how it correlates with how you feel and other things in your environment, like how your plants grow.
You may find a correlation, or you may not.
But being aware of this important natural cycle could help you take advantage of its positive effects and avoid any negative ones.
