On Wednesday, December 16, 2026 the Moon will be in its first quarter phase, with 51% of its disk illuminated and an age of 7.6 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
| Phase | 🌓 First Quarter |
|---|---|
| Illumination | 51% |
| Moon age | 7.6 days |
| Day of the week | Wednesday |
| Last new moon | December 8, 2026 at 21:52 |
| Next full moon | December 23, 2026 at 22:28 (in 7.4 days) |
| Next new moon | January 7, 2027 at 17:24 (in 22.2 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 15, 2026 December 17, 2026 →
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 16, 2026 it had completed 25% of the cycle that began with the new moon on December 8, 2026.
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 16, 2026. For sun times, check sunrise and sunset.