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Waning Crescent1.4% Illumination

Moon Phase on 2026-01-17

On 2026-01-17, the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase. The visible fraction of the lunar disc illuminated by the Sun is 1.4%, with an elapsed synodic age of 28.4 days.

Lunar Phase & Illumination Visualizer

Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd ed. Chapter 49 (Phases of the Moon)

FormulaIllumination = (1 - cos(2π · Phase)) / 2
87% Cycle
Waning Crescent
15.7% Illuminated
Visible fraction of the lunar disc facing Earth
0% (New)50% (Quarter)100% (Full)
Moon Age25.7 daysin 29.53d synodic cycle
Phase Angle (k)313.4°geometric elongation
Astronomical Algorithm Note: Moon phases are governed by the synodic month (mean length: 29.53058867 days). Phase zero corresponds to the conjunction of the Moon and Sun (New Moon), while phase 0.50 denotes the exact opposition (Full Moon).

7-Day Moon Phase Progression

DatePhase NameIlluminationMoon AgeLink
Wed, Jan 14
Waning Crescent17.9%25.4 daysView
Thu, Jan 15
Waning Crescent10.5%26.4 daysView
Fri, Jan 16
Waning Crescent5.0%27.4 daysView
Sat, Jan 17
Waning Crescent1.4%28.4 daysView
Sun, Jan 18
New Moon0.0%29.4 daysView
Mon, Jan 19
Waxing Crescent0.9%0.9 daysView
Tue, Jan 20
Waxing Crescent4.0%1.9 daysView

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Moon Phase FAQs

Q1.What lunar phase occurs on 2026-01-17?

On 2026-01-17, the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase, displaying approximately 1.4% disc illumination facing Earth with a lunar age of 28.4 days since the last New Moon.

Q2.How long is a complete lunar synodic month?

A synodic month (from one New Moon to the next) averages 29.53058867 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes). This duration represents the time required for the Moon to align in the same geometric relationship relative to the Earth and Sun.

Q3.How is the illuminated fraction calculated?

Illumination is determined using Jean Meeus’ trigonometric relation k = (1 - cos(2π · phase)) / 2, where phase is the normalized progress (0.0 to 1.0) along the 29.53-day synodic cycle.

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