All dates and times in UTC

Moon phases and dark nights for aurora watching in 2025

Moonlight brightens the whole sky. Around full moon it washes out faint aurora, so you only see the brighter displays. A strong aurora is still easy to see under a full moon, and moonlight can even make nice photos with lit-up landscapes. For faint, everyday aurora the best weeks are the ones around new moon, when the sky is darkest.

Moon calendar 2025

Each day shows the Moon's phase and how much of it is lit during the night that starts that evening (18:00–06:00 UTC). Highlighted days are dark nights: the Moon is less than 25% lit all night.

Dark night (Moon under 25% lit)

January 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1 6% Waxing crescent, dark night	2 13% Waxing crescent, dark night	3 21% Waxing crescent, dark night	4 31% Waxing crescent	5 42% Waxing crescent
6 53% First quarter	7 64% Waxing gibbous	8 75% Waxing gibbous	9 84% Waxing gibbous	10 91% Waxing gibbous	11 96% Waxing gibbous	12 99% Waxing gibbous
13 100% Full moon	14 99% Waning gibbous	15 96% Waning gibbous	16 92% Waning gibbous	17 85% Waning gibbous	18 78% Waning gibbous	19 69% Waning gibbous
20 60% Waning gibbous	21 51% Last quarter	22 42% Waning crescent	23 32% Waning crescent	24 24% Waning crescent, dark night	25 16% Waning crescent, dark night	26 9% Waning crescent, dark night
27 4% Waning crescent, dark night	28 1% Waning crescent, dark night	29 1% New moon, dark night	30 4% Waxing crescent, dark night	31 10% Waxing crescent, dark night

First quarter 6 Jan, 23:56 UTC
Full moon 13 Jan, 22:27 UTC
Last quarter 21 Jan, 20:31 UTC
New moon 29 Jan, 12:36 UTC

February 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
					1 17% Waxing crescent, dark night	2 27% Waxing crescent
3 38% Waxing crescent	4 49% Waxing crescent	5 60% First quarter	6 71% Waxing gibbous	7 80% Waxing gibbous	8 88% Waxing gibbous	9 94% Waxing gibbous
10 98% Waxing gibbous	11 100% Waxing gibbous	12 100% Full moon	13 99% Waning gibbous	14 95% Waning gibbous	15 91% Waning gibbous	16 84% Waning gibbous
17 77% Waning gibbous	18 69% Waning gibbous	19 59% Waning gibbous	20 50% Last quarter	21 40% Waning crescent	22 31% Waning crescent	23 22% Waning crescent, dark night
24 14% Waning crescent, dark night	25 7% Waning crescent, dark night	26 2% Waning crescent, dark night	27 0% Waning crescent, dark night	28 2% New moon, dark night

First quarter 5 Feb, 08:02 UTC
Full moon 12 Feb, 13:54 UTC
Last quarter 20 Feb, 17:33 UTC
New moon 28 Feb, 00:45 UTC

March 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
					1 7% Waxing crescent, dark night	2 14% Waxing crescent, dark night
3 24% Waxing crescent, dark night	4 34% Waxing crescent	5 45% Waxing crescent	6 56% First quarter	7 67% Waxing gibbous	8 76% Waxing gibbous	9 85% Waxing gibbous
10 91% Waxing gibbous	11 96% Waxing gibbous	12 99% Waxing gibbous	13 100% Waxing gibbous	14 100% Full moon	15 98% Waning gibbous	16 95% Waning gibbous
17 90% Waning gibbous	18 83% Waning gibbous	19 75% Waning gibbous	20 67% Waning gibbous	21 57% Waning gibbous	22 47% Last quarter	23 37% Waning crescent
24 27% Waning crescent	25 18% Waning crescent, dark night	26 10% Waning crescent, dark night	27 4% Waning crescent, dark night	28 1% Waning crescent, dark night	29 1% New moon, dark night	30 5% Waxing crescent, dark night
31 11% Waxing crescent, dark night

First quarter 6 Mar, 16:32 UTC
Full moon 14 Mar, 06:55 UTC
Last quarter 22 Mar, 11:30 UTC
New moon 29 Mar, 10:58 UTC

April 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1 20% Waxing crescent, dark night	2 30% Waxing crescent	3 41% Waxing crescent	4 52% Waxing crescent	5 62% First quarter	6 72% Waxing gibbous
7 80% Waxing gibbous	8 88% Waxing gibbous	9 93% Waxing gibbous	10 97% Waxing gibbous	11 99% Waxing gibbous	12 100% Waxing gibbous	13 99% Full moon
14 97% Waning gibbous	15 93% Waning gibbous	16 88% Waning gibbous	17 81% Waning gibbous	18 73% Waning gibbous	19 63% Waning gibbous	20 53% Waning gibbous
21 43% Last quarter	22 32% Waning crescent	23 22% Waning crescent, dark night	24 13% Waning crescent, dark night	25 6% Waning crescent, dark night	26 2% Waning crescent, dark night	27 0% New moon, dark night
28 3% Waxing crescent, dark night	29 9% Waxing crescent, dark night	30 17% Waxing crescent, dark night

First quarter 5 Apr, 02:15 UTC
Full moon 13 Apr, 00:22 UTC
Last quarter 21 Apr, 01:36 UTC
New moon 27 Apr, 19:31 UTC

May 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
			1 26% Waxing crescent	2 36% Waxing crescent	3 47% Waxing crescent	4 57% First quarter
5 67% Waxing gibbous	6 75% Waxing gibbous	7 83% Waxing gibbous	8 90% Waxing gibbous	9 95% Waxing gibbous	10 98% Waxing gibbous	11 100% Waxing gibbous
12 100% Full moon	13 99% Waning gibbous	14 96% Waning gibbous	15 91% Waning gibbous	16 85% Waning gibbous	17 77% Waning gibbous	18 68% Waning gibbous
19 58% Waning gibbous	20 47% Last quarter	21 36% Waning crescent	22 26% Waning crescent	23 16% Waning crescent, dark night	24 8% Waning crescent, dark night	25 3% Waning crescent, dark night
26 0% Waning crescent, dark night	27 2% New moon, dark night	28 7% Waxing crescent, dark night	29 13% Waxing crescent, dark night	30 22% Waxing crescent, dark night	31 31% Waxing crescent

First quarter 4 May, 13:52 UTC
Full moon 12 May, 16:56 UTC
Last quarter 20 May, 11:59 UTC
New moon 27 May, 03:02 UTC

June 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
						1 41% Waxing crescent
2 51% Waxing crescent	3 61% First quarter	4 70% Waxing gibbous	5 78% Waxing gibbous	6 85% Waxing gibbous	7 91% Waxing gibbous	8 96% Waxing gibbous
9 99% Waxing gibbous	10 100% Waxing gibbous	11 100% Full moon	12 98% Waning gibbous	13 94% Waning gibbous	14 88% Waning gibbous	15 81% Waning gibbous
16 72% Waning gibbous	17 62% Waning gibbous	18 51% Last quarter	19 39% Waning crescent	20 29% Waning crescent	21 19% Waning crescent, dark night	22 10% Waning crescent, dark night
23 4% Waning crescent, dark night	24 1% Waning crescent, dark night	25 1% New moon, dark night	26 4% Waxing crescent, dark night	27 10% Waxing crescent, dark night	28 17% Waxing crescent, dark night	29 26% Waxing crescent
30 35% Waxing crescent

First quarter 3 Jun, 03:41 UTC
Full moon 11 Jun, 07:44 UTC
Last quarter 18 Jun, 19:19 UTC
New moon 25 Jun, 10:32 UTC

July 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1 45% Waxing crescent	2 54% First quarter	3 64% Waxing gibbous	4 72% Waxing gibbous	5 80% Waxing gibbous	6 87% Waxing gibbous
7 93% Waxing gibbous	8 97% Waxing gibbous	9 99% Waxing gibbous	10 100% Full moon	11 99% Waning gibbous	12 96% Waning gibbous	13 91% Waning gibbous
14 84% Waning gibbous	15 75% Waning gibbous	16 64% Waning gibbous	17 53% Waning gibbous	18 42% Last quarter	19 31% Waning crescent	20 21% Waning crescent, dark night
21 12% Waning crescent, dark night	22 6% Waning crescent, dark night	23 2% Waning crescent, dark night	24 0% New moon, dark night	25 3% Waxing crescent, dark night	26 7% Waxing crescent, dark night	27 13% Waxing crescent, dark night
28 21% Waxing crescent, dark night	29 29% Waxing crescent	30 38% Waxing crescent	31 47% Waxing crescent

First quarter 2 Jul, 19:30 UTC
Full moon 10 Jul, 20:37 UTC
Last quarter 18 Jul, 00:38 UTC
New moon 24 Jul, 19:11 UTC

August 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
				1 57% First quarter	2 66% Waxing gibbous	3 75% Waxing gibbous
4 83% Waxing gibbous	5 90% Waxing gibbous	6 95% Waxing gibbous	7 99% Waxing gibbous	8 100% Waxing gibbous	9 100% Full moon	10 98% Waning gibbous
11 93% Waning gibbous	12 86% Waning gibbous	13 77% Waning gibbous	14 67% Waning gibbous	15 55% Waning gibbous	16 44% Last quarter	17 33% Waning crescent
18 23% Waning crescent, dark night	19 14% Waning crescent, dark night	20 7% Waning crescent, dark night	21 3% Waning crescent, dark night	22 0% Waning crescent, dark night	23 1% New moon, dark night	24 4% Waxing crescent, dark night
25 9% Waxing crescent, dark night	26 15% Waxing crescent, dark night	27 23% Waxing crescent, dark night	28 31% Waxing crescent	29 41% Waxing crescent	30 50% Waxing crescent	31 60% First quarter

First quarter 1 Aug, 12:42 UTC
Full moon 9 Aug, 07:55 UTC
Last quarter 16 Aug, 05:12 UTC
New moon 23 Aug, 06:07 UTC
First quarter 31 Aug, 06:25 UTC

September 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1 69% Waxing gibbous	2 78% Waxing gibbous	3 86% Waxing gibbous	4 92% Waxing gibbous	5 97% Waxing gibbous	6 100% Waxing gibbous	7 100% Full moon
8 99% Waning gibbous	9 95% Waning gibbous	10 88% Waning gibbous	11 79% Waning gibbous	12 69% Waning gibbous	13 58% Waning gibbous	14 47% Last quarter
15 36% Waning crescent	16 26% Waning crescent	17 17% Waning crescent, dark night	18 10% Waning crescent, dark night	19 4% Waning crescent, dark night	20 1% Waning crescent, dark night	21 0% New moon, dark night
22 2% Waxing crescent, dark night	23 6% Waxing crescent, dark night	24 11% Waxing crescent, dark night	25 17% Waxing crescent, dark night	26 25% Waxing crescent	27 34% Waxing crescent	28 43% Waxing crescent
29 53% First quarter	30 62% Waxing gibbous

Full moon 7 Sept, 18:09 UTC
Last quarter 14 Sept, 10:33 UTC
New moon 21 Sept, 19:54 UTC
First quarter 29 Sept, 23:54 UTC

October 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1 72% Waxing gibbous	2 81% Waxing gibbous	3 89% Waxing gibbous	4 95% Waxing gibbous	5 99% Waxing gibbous
6 100% Waxing gibbous	7 99% Full moon	8 96% Waning gibbous	9 90% Waning gibbous	10 82% Waning gibbous	11 72% Waning gibbous	12 61% Waning gibbous
13 50% Last quarter	14 39% Waning crescent	15 29% Waning crescent	16 20% Waning crescent, dark night	17 13% Waning crescent, dark night	18 7% Waning crescent, dark night	19 3% Waning crescent, dark night
20 1% Waning crescent, dark night	21 1% New moon, dark night	22 3% Waxing crescent, dark night	23 7% Waxing crescent, dark night	24 12% Waxing crescent, dark night	25 19% Waxing crescent, dark night	26 27% Waxing crescent
27 36% Waxing crescent	28 46% Waxing crescent	29 56% First quarter	30 66% Waxing gibbous	31 76% Waxing gibbous

Full moon 7 Oct, 03:48 UTC
Last quarter 13 Oct, 18:13 UTC
New moon 21 Oct, 12:25 UTC
First quarter 29 Oct, 16:21 UTC

November 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
					1 85% Waxing gibbous	2 92% Waxing gibbous
3 97% Waxing gibbous	4 100% Waxing gibbous	5 100% Full moon	6 98% Waning gibbous	7 93% Waning gibbous	8 85% Waning gibbous	9 76% Waning gibbous
10 66% Waning gibbous	11 55% Waning gibbous	12 45% Last quarter	13 35% Waning crescent	14 26% Waning crescent	15 18% Waning crescent, dark night	16 11% Waning crescent, dark night
17 6% Waning crescent, dark night	18 2% Waning crescent, dark night	19 0% Waning crescent, dark night	20 1% New moon, dark night	21 4% Waxing crescent, dark night	22 8% Waxing crescent, dark night	23 14% Waxing crescent, dark night
24 21% Waxing crescent, dark night	25 30% Waxing crescent	26 39% Waxing crescent	27 50% Waxing crescent	28 60% First quarter	29 71% Waxing gibbous	30 81% Waxing gibbous

Full moon 5 Nov, 13:19 UTC
Last quarter 12 Nov, 05:28 UTC
New moon 20 Nov, 06:47 UTC
First quarter 28 Nov, 06:59 UTC

December 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1 89% Waxing gibbous	2 95% Waxing gibbous	3 99% Waxing gibbous	4 100% Full moon	5 99% Waning gibbous	6 95% Waning gibbous	7 89% Waning gibbous
8 81% Waning gibbous	9 71% Waning gibbous	10 61% Waning gibbous	11 51% Last quarter	12 41% Waning crescent	13 32% Waning crescent	14 24% Waning crescent, dark night
15 16% Waning crescent, dark night	16 10% Waning crescent, dark night	17 5% Waning crescent, dark night	18 2% Waning crescent, dark night	19 0% Waning crescent, dark night	20 1% New moon, dark night	21 5% Waxing crescent, dark night
22 9% Waxing crescent, dark night	23 16% Waxing crescent, dark night	24 24% Waxing crescent, dark night	25 34% Waxing crescent	26 44% Waxing crescent	27 55% First quarter	28 66% Waxing gibbous
29 77% Waxing gibbous	30 86% Waxing gibbous	31 93% Waxing gibbous

Full moon 4 Dec, 23:14 UTC
Last quarter 11 Dec, 20:52 UTC
New moon 20 Dec, 01:44 UTC
First quarter 27 Dec, 19:10 UTC

New moons, full moons and the best aurora weeks in 2025

The best aurora week is the new moon plus and minus five days. The northern aurora season runs from September to March, the southern season from March to September. In summer the sky never gets dark at 69°N (midnight sun and light nights), so those weeks are no use for the northern lights.

New moon (UTC)	Best aurora week	Next full moon (UTC)	Northern lights (69°N)	Southern lights
–	–	Mon, 13 Jan 2025, 22:27 UTC	–	–
Wed, 29 Jan 2025, 12:36 UTC	24 Jan – 3 Feb	Wed, 12 Feb 2025, 13:54 UTC	Good: in season	Off season
Fri, 28 Feb 2025, 00:45 UTC	23 Feb – 5 Mar	Fri, 14 Mar 2025, 06:55 UTC	Good: in season	Off season
Sat, 29 Mar 2025, 10:58 UTC	24 Mar – 3 Apr	Sun, 13 Apr 2025, 00:22 UTC	Good: in season	Good: in season
Sun, 27 Apr 2025, 19:31 UTC	22 Apr – 2 May	Mon, 12 May 2025, 16:56 UTC	Not usable: too light (twilight or midnight sun)	Good: in season
Tue, 27 May 2025, 03:02 UTC	22 May – 1 Jun	Wed, 11 Jun 2025, 07:44 UTC	Not usable: too light (twilight or midnight sun)	Good: in season
Wed, 25 Jun 2025, 10:32 UTC	20 Jun – 30 Jun	Thu, 10 Jul 2025, 20:37 UTC	Not usable: too light (twilight or midnight sun)	Good: in season
Thu, 24 Jul 2025, 19:11 UTC	19 Jul – 29 Jul	Sat, 9 Aug 2025, 07:55 UTC	Not usable: too light (twilight or midnight sun)	Good: in season
Sat, 23 Aug 2025, 06:07 UTC	18 Aug – 28 Aug	Sun, 7 Sept 2025, 18:09 UTC	Not usable: too light (twilight or midnight sun)	Good: in season
Sun, 21 Sept 2025, 19:54 UTC	16 Sept – 26 Sept	Tue, 7 Oct 2025, 03:48 UTC	Good: in season	Good: in season
Tue, 21 Oct 2025, 12:25 UTC	16 Oct – 26 Oct	Wed, 5 Nov 2025, 13:19 UTC	Good: in season	Off season
Thu, 20 Nov 2025, 06:47 UTC	15 Nov – 25 Nov	Thu, 4 Dec 2025, 23:14 UTC	Good: in season	Off season
Sat, 20 Dec 2025, 01:44 UTC	15 Dec – 25 Dec	–	Good: in season	Off season

Plan your aurora trip

Moon phases computed with the open-source astronomy-engine library (MIT licence). Accurate to about a minute.