Moon Phase on Wednesday, December 16, 2026

Times on this page are for New York, NY (EST) unless noted. Phase and illumination are calculated for 12:00 PM local time with astronomy-engine.

A waxing crescent moon (45% lit) hangs in the morning sky on Wednesday, December 16, 2026. In the first few days after New Moon, you may notice earthshine: a faint glow on the Moon's dark part, caused by sunlight reflected off Earth.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2026, the Moon is a waxing crescent moon, 45% illuminated and 7.7 days old. "Waxing" means the lit part is growing each night. From the Northern Hemisphere, the sunlit sliver is on the right side of the Moon.

Viewing tips

Look west in the hour after sunset. The thin crescent and earthshine make a beautiful photo above a silhouetted horizon. With a crescent this slim, the sky is still dark enough later in the night for faint stars.

The next major phase is the First Quarter on December 17 at 12:43 AM EST, tomorrow.

The next full moon is the Cold Moon on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. See the Cold Moon page for times in every US time zone.

The Moon takes about 29.5 days to go through all eight phases, the synodic month. Phases happen at the same instant everywhere on Earth, but the calendar date can change with your time zone, especially when a phase falls near midnight.