Moon phase on December 22, 2020

First Quarter, 56%
🌓 First Quarter
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 · at noon (Brasília)
Illumination: 56% Age: 7.9 days Cycle: 27%

On Tuesday, December 22, 2020 the Moon was in its first quarter phase, with 56% of its disk illuminated and an age of 7.9 days since the last new moon. Half of the disk is lit, about a week after the new moon. The Moon is easy to see in the early evening and sets around midnight.

Moon data for this date

Moon at noon Brasília time (UTC-3)
Phase🌓 First Quarter
Illumination56%
Moon age7.9 days
Day of the weekTuesday
Last new moonDecember 14, 2020 at 13:17
Next full moonDecember 30, 2020 at 00:28 (in 7.5 days)
Next new moonJanuary 13, 2021 at 02:00 (in 21.6 days)

The Moon on the surrounding days

Compare the phase and illumination over the three days before and after. Click a day to open its page.

← December 21, 2020 December 23, 2020 →

About the first quarter

Half of the disk is lit, about a week after the new moon. The Moon is easy to see in the early evening and sets around midnight. The phase name comes from the Moon's position in its 29.53-day cycle: on December 22, 2020 it had completed 27% of the cycle that began with the new moon on December 14, 2020.

Looking for another date, such as a birthday? Use the Moon phase on the day I was born tool, see the Moon phase today page with the lunar calendar, or find the day of the week of December 22, 2020. For sun times, check sunrise and sunset.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Moon phase on December 22, 2020?

On December 22, 2020 the Moon was in its first quarter phase, with 56% of the disk lit (calculated at noon Brasília time).

How old is the Moon on that date?

The age is the time since the last new moon: 7.9 days of an average 29.53-day cycle.

When is the next full moon after that date?

The next full moon after December 22, 2020 falls on December 30, 2020 at 00:28 Brasília time.

When is the next new moon after that date?

The next new moon after December 22, 2020 falls on January 13, 2021 at 02:00 Brasília time.

How is the Moon phase calculated?

With Jean Meeus's astronomical formulas for the instants of new, quarter and full moon. The age comes from the time since the last new moon and the illumination is (1 − cos(2π × cycle fraction)) / 2.

Is the phase the same everywhere in the world?

Yes, the phase and the illuminated percentage are the same across the planet at any given instant. Only the orientation changes: in the southern hemisphere a waxing Moon is lit on the left, in the northern one on the right.