Every night the moon reveals the same face to us, however, from Earth we don’t see it the same way, since it presents a different part that changes week by week, the famous phases of the moon governed by the lunar calendar.
We call a lunar calendar the system of time measurement based on the cycles of the moon, specifically the phases it goes through during a period of approximately 29.5 days, which is known as a synodic month.
Unlike the solar calendar, which is governed by the movement of our planet around the sun, the lunar calendar is structured according to the different relative positions of the moon, the earth, and the sun, which gives rise to the lunar phases: new, waxing crescent, full, and waning quarter.
Lunar Calendar April 2026
This is the lunar calendar for the week, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Waning Crescent
Currently and since April 10, 2026, we are in the phase of waningquarter, this means that the natural satellite that surrounds our planet appears to be half illuminated, but in reality only half of the half of the moon is being seen, a quarter.
Also known as the last quarter moon, in this phase the celestial body rises around midnight and sets around midday.
New Moon
For the following week, as the waning quarter phase ends, the phase will be a
new moon. This means that the celestial body will be located exactly between the Earth and the Sun, with only its hidden face being illuminated.
If observation is already more difficult during this phase, the new moon rises and sets with the sun and only appears during the day. This phase is an excellent time to observe the dark sky.
The phases of the moon
Everywhere in the world you can see the same
phases of the moon, the only thing that changes is the angle between the people who live in the northern and southern hemispheres.
If you traveled to the other hemisphere from where you live, the moon would be in the same phase, but it would appear reversed compared to what you are used to, according to NASA.
For example, if the moon is in its waning phase, from the northern hemisphere, the half-moon will appear on the left side, while from the southern hemisphere, it will appear on the right.
It is worth mentioning that the time it takes the moon to rotate once on its axis is equal to the time it takes to orbit once around the earth, which is why we always see the same face of the moon.
The moon takes approximately one month to orbit the Earth, 27.3 days to complete one revolution and 29.5 days to change from new moon to new moon.
