Phase 4 of 8 🌔
Waxing Gibbous Moon
More than half lit and growing night by night — the swollen, almost-full shape that fills the evening sky before full moon.
The next Waxing Gibbous nights begin on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Tonight the Moon is a First Quarter, 31% lit.
What a waxing gibbous is
Gibbous (from the Latin for “hump” or “bulge”, pronounced GIB-us) describes a Moon that is more than half lit but not yet full. The waxing gibbous spans roughly days 8–14 of the cycle, from just after first quarter until the night of full moon, growing from about 55% to 99% illumination.
It is the phase people most often mistake for a full moon — a bright, fat disk that dominates the evening sky. The giveaway is the terminator: one edge of the disk still looks slightly soft or flattened where the last strip of lunar surface is still in darkness. Crater detail along that edge remains excellent for binoculars, especially early in the phase.
When & where to see it
A waxing gibbous rises in the mid-to-late afternoon and sets in the small hours after midnight, so it is visible almost all evening — already up in the east before sunset and high in the sky by mid-evening.
Because it is up before dark, this is the easiest phase to spot in daylight: a pale, obviously-more-than-half disk in the eastern afternoon sky.
Exact rise and set times depend on where you stand — check moonrise & moonset for your location.
Upcoming waxing gibbous nights
| First night | Last night |
|---|---|
| Thu, July 23, 2026 | Jul 27 |
| Sat, August 22, 2026 | Aug 25 |
| Mon, September 21, 2026 | Sep 24 |
| Wed, October 21, 2026 | Oct 23 |
| Thu, November 19, 2026 | Nov 22 |
| Sat, December 19, 2026 | Dec 21 |
Computed from lunar geometry (UTC). For any specific date, try the moon phase calculator.
Waxing Gibbous meaning
Symbolically the waxing gibbous is the phase of refinement and patience — the work begun at new moon is nearly complete, and the tradition reads it as a time to adjust, edit and hold course as things come to fruition. More on moon phase meanings →
Frequently Asked
What does waxing gibbous mean?
“Waxing” means the lit area is growing night after night; “gibbous” means more than half of the disk is lit. Together: a Moon between half and full, on its way to full.
What time does a waxing gibbous moon rise?
In the afternoon — typically between noon and sunset — and it sets after midnight. That makes it visible nearly all evening.
How long until the full moon after waxing gibbous begins?
The waxing gibbous phase runs from about day 8 to day 14–15 of the cycle, so from its start the full moon is roughly a week away at most.
Why does the waxing gibbous moon look full?
Above ~90% illumination the missing sliver is hard to notice with the naked eye. Look for one slightly soft, flattened edge — a true full moon is round all the way around.