The moon phase today, August 15, 2026, is a Waxing Crescent at 11% illumination. The moon is 3.19 days into its current cycle, having passed through the new moon on August 12 at 17:36 UTC. It is young, thin, and setting shortly after the sun — visible in the western sky just after dusk before it dips below the horizon. According to NASA’s lunar science resource, the Waxing Crescent is the phase immediately following the new moon when the lunar surface begins reflecting sunlight back toward Earth in a gradually widening arc.
A Waxing Crescent phase means the illuminated portion of the moon is growing. From Earth, only a slim sliver of the right edge is lit, with the rest of the lunar surface in darkness. Each night from now until the First Quarter on August 20, that crescent will widen and the moon will set progressively later in the evening.
Tonight’s Moon at a Glance
Phase: Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 11%
Moon age: 3.19 days
Visibility: Low in the western sky after sunset; sets a few hours after dark
Waxing Crescent moons are ideal for stargazing. Because so little of the moon’s surface is lit, light pollution from the moon is minimal — skies appear darker than usual, making faint stars, galaxies, and deep-sky objects easier to spot with binoculars or a telescope. If conditions are clear, you may also observe earthshine: the faint glow visible on the unlit portion of the moon, caused by sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface back onto the lunar face.
In many astrological traditions, the Waxing Crescent is associated with intention-setting, new beginnings, and forward momentum — a period suited to launching plans rather than consolidating them. It follows the inward energy of the new moon and carries that impulse outward toward action. The Moon is currently transiting Virgo, sharpening the focus of this growth energy toward practical matters and detail-oriented tasks, as outlined in today’s daily horoscope for all 12 zodiac signs.
Upcoming Moon Phases — August 2026
First Quarter: August 20, 2026 at 02:46 UTC — the moon reaches half illumination, rising around midday and setting around midnight.
Full Moon (Sturgeon Moon): August 28, 2026 at 04:18 UTC — the brightest night of the month, when the entire lunar face is lit. The Sturgeon Moon takes its name from the large freshwater fish historically abundant in North American lakes during August.
Last Quarter: early September 2026.
The current lunar cycle began with the new moon on August 12, which coincided with a total solar eclipse at 20 degrees Leo — the first totality visible from mainland Europe since 1999. At 29.5 days per cycle, the Sturgeon Full Moon on August 28 marks the halfway point of this orbit.
Check back each day for updated moon phase information, including illumination percentage, moon age, and viewing conditions.
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