Moon Phase on Thursday, April 23, 2026
Times use New York, NY (America/New_York) unless noted.
- Phase
- First Quarter
- Illumination
- 45%
- Moon age
- 6.2 days
- Moonrise
- 11:21 AM
- Moonset
- 2:03 AM
Times use New York, NY (America/New_York) unless noted.
Times on this page are for New York, NY (EDT) unless noted. Phase and illumination are calculated for 12:00 PM local time with astronomy-engine.
A First Quarter Moon (45% lit) dominates the evening sky on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The terminator, the line between day and night on the Moon, runs straight down the middle, and shadows along it make craters and mountains stand out sharply.
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the Moon is at First Quarter, about 45% illuminated. Despite the name, half of the visible disk is lit. "Quarter" refers to the Moon being a quarter of the way through its orbit since New Moon.
This is one of the best phases for binoculars or a small telescope. Scan along the terminator for crater rims and mountain ranges in strong relief. Evening viewing is convenient, and the Moon sets around midnight, leaving the later night darker.
The next major phase is the Full Moon on May 1 at 1:23 PM EDT, 8 days from now.
The next full moon is the Flower Moon on Friday, May 1, 2026. See the Flower Moon page for times in every US time zone.