Phase 6 of 8 🌖
Waning Gibbous Moon
Still more than half lit but shrinking — the late-rising Moon that hangs on into the morning sky after full.
The next Waning Gibbous nights begin on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Tonight the Moon is a First Quarter, 31% lit.
What a waning gibbous is
After full moon the light begins to recede. The waning gibbous — roughly days 15–21 of the cycle — is still more than half lit, but the terminator now creeps across the disk from the opposite side, and the Moon shrinks night by night from ~99% back toward half. In the northern hemisphere it is the left side that stays bright (the mirror image of the waxing gibbous).
This is the phase most often seen in broad daylight in the morning: a pale, fat Moon hanging in the western sky after sunrise. Many people are surprised by it — the waning phases keep later and later hours, so casual evening skywatchers simply stop seeing the Moon and then stumble on it at breakfast.
When & where to see it
A waning gibbous rises in the mid-to-late evening — an hour or more after sunset, and later each successive night — climbs through the small hours, and stays up past sunrise, setting in the mid-morning.
If you want to catch it in the evening you have to wait up for moonrise; the easier viewing is early morning, when it stands high in the west. Its late rise is also why the nights right after full moon start dark: there is a genuinely moonless gap between sunset and moonrise that grows every night.
Exact rise and set times depend on where you stand — check moonrise & moonset for your location.
Upcoming waning gibbous nights
| First night | Last night |
|---|---|
| Sat, August 1, 2026 | Aug 3 |
| Sun, August 30, 2026 | Sep 2 |
| Tue, September 29, 2026 | Oct 1 |
| Wed, October 28, 2026 | Oct 30 |
| Thu, November 26, 2026 | Nov 29 |
| Sat, December 26, 2026 | Dec 28 |
Computed from lunar geometry (UTC). For any specific date, try the moon phase calculator.
Waning Gibbous meaning
Symbolically the waning gibbous is the phase of gratitude and distribution — the harvest gathered at full moon is shared and digested. Journaling traditions read it as a time for reflection, teaching and giving back. More on moon phase meanings →
Frequently Asked
What does a waning gibbous moon mean?
It means the Moon is past full and shrinking (“waning”) but still more than half lit (“gibbous”) — roughly days 15–21 of the 29.5-day cycle.
Why do I see the waning gibbous moon in the morning?
Because it rises late in the evening and doesn’t set until mid-morning. After sunrise it is still up — the classic pale “daytime moon” of the morning sky.
What time does a waning gibbous rise?
Between roughly 1 and 4 hours after sunset, rising later each night as the phase progresses toward last quarter.
Which side of the moon is lit during waning gibbous?
The left side, seen from the northern hemisphere (the right side from the southern hemisphere) — the mirror of the waxing gibbous.