Moon Phase

Moon phase represents one of the most important astronomical factors in night photography, fundamentally determining whether your shooting conditions favor bright moonlit landscapes or dark skies for astrophotography. The moon cycles through eight primary phases over approximately 29.5 days: new moon (0% illumination), waxing crescent (1-49% and growing), first quarter (50% illumination), waxing gibbous (51-99% and growing), full moon (100% illumination), waning gibbous (99-51% and shrinking), last quarter (50% illumination), and waning crescent (49-1% and shrinking). Each phase creates dramatically different lighting conditions.

Full moon bathes landscapes in brilliant silver light, bright enough to shoot handheld with elevated ISOs or capture flowing water with exposures of just a few seconds—perfect for moonlit landscapes, waterfalls, and coastal scenes where you want both detail and atmosphere. The intense moonlight during full moon also creates strong shadows and can enable creative techniques like moon trails or capturing both the full moon and foreground landscape in a single exposure. However, full moon is the enemy of astrophotography—its brightness washes out the Milky Way, dims all but the brightest stars, and makes meteor shower photography nearly impossible. For serious astrophotography, new moon is essential. With 0% illumination, the moon provides no sky glow, allowing the Milky Way's core to shine brilliantly and faint deep-sky objects to emerge. Many astrophotographers plan their entire shooting calendar around new moon weekends, especially during peak Milky Way season (March-October in the Northern Hemisphere).

The quarter phases and crescents offer middle-ground opportunities: a crescent moon shortly after sunset or before sunrise can add a beautiful accent to twilight landscapes without overwhelming the scene, while quarter moons provide moderate illumination suitable for moonlit landscapes when you don't want full-moon intensity. Waxing phases (moon growing toward full) mean the moon rises during afternoon and sets during night, while waning phases (moon shrinking toward new) mean the moon rises during night and sets during morning—critical information for planning when moonlight will be present during your shoot. PhotoWeather tracks moon phase in real-time and integrates it with moon rise/set times, altitude, and weather conditions, helping you plan whether to pursue dark-sky astrophotography during new moon, dramatic moonlit landscapes during full moon, or creative combinations during intermediate phases when the moon's position and phase align with your photographic vision.