Questions and bridges

When Is the Next Full Moon?

A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days. For the exact date and time where you live, check the Astronativa Moon calendar. The moment is calculated astronomically, so the calendar date depends on your time zone.

Short answer

The Moon becomes full about once every 29.5 days. To see the exact date and time of the next one, open the Moon calendar on Astronativa, which shows times for your own time zone. That beats memorising dates that go stale quickly.

Why about 29.5 days?

The time between two identical phases is called the synodic month (the time the Moon takes to return to the same position relative to the Sun as seen from Earth). Its average is about 29.53 days. The orbits of the Moon and Earth are elliptical and perturbed, so the real gap between two full moons varies by hours, sometimes by almost half a day. You can read more about the cycle in lunar phases and the Moon.

What is the exact moment?

Astronomically, full moon is the instant when the Moon lies directly opposite the Sun in ecliptic longitude. That instant is the same worldwide, but clocks show different times. Near midnight, the date in Sofia can differ from the date in New York or Tokyo. To the naked eye the Moon looks full the evening before and after, too.

Special full moons

Sometimes a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closer pass to Earth, which is a supermoon. A second full moon in one calendar month is called a blue moon. Occasionally a full moon also brings a lunar eclipse.

In tradition

In the astrological tradition, the full moon is linked with culmination, something ripened coming into light. It is a symbol for reflection, not a forecast.

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