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Waxing Crescent14.8% Illumination

Moon Phase on 2026-07-18

On 2026-07-18, the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase. The visible fraction of the lunar disc illuminated by the Sun is 14.8%, with an elapsed synodic age of 3.7 days.

Lunar Phase & Illumination Visualizer

Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd ed. Chapter 49 (Phases of the Moon)

FormulaIllumination = (1 - cos(2π · Phase)) / 2
Select Date:
77% Cycle
Last Quarter
44.1% Illuminated
Visible fraction of the lunar disc facing Earth
0% (New)50% (Quarter)100% (Full)
Moon Age22.7 daysin 29.53d synodic cycle
Phase Angle (k)276.8°geometric elongation
Astronomical Algorithm Note: Moon phases are governed by the synodic month (mean length: 29.53058867 days). Phase zero corresponds to the conjunction of the Moon and Sun (New Moon), while phase 0.50 denotes the exact opposition (Full Moon).

7-Day Moon Phase Progression

DatePhase NameIlluminationMoon AgeLink
Wed, Jul 15
New Moon0.6%0.7 daysView
Thu, Jul 16
Waxing Crescent3.3%1.7 daysView
Fri, Jul 17
Waxing Crescent8.1%2.7 daysView
Sat, Jul 18
Waxing Crescent14.8%3.7 daysView
Sun, Jul 19
Waxing Crescent23.0%4.7 daysView
Mon, Jul 20
Waxing Crescent32.6%5.7 daysView
Tue, Jul 21
First Quarter42.8%6.7 daysView

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Moon Phase FAQs

Q1.What lunar phase occurs on 2026-07-18?

On 2026-07-18, the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, displaying approximately 14.8% disc illumination facing Earth with a lunar age of 3.7 days since the last New Moon.

Q2.How long is a complete lunar synodic month?

A synodic month (from one New Moon to the next) averages 29.53058867 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes). This duration represents the time required for the Moon to align in the same geometric relationship relative to the Earth and Sun.

Q3.How is the illuminated fraction calculated?

Illumination is determined using Jean Meeus’ trigonometric relation k = (1 - cos(2π · phase)) / 2, where phase is the normalized progress (0.0 to 1.0) along the 29.53-day synodic cycle.

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