Last Quarter Moon

The last quarter moon falls one week after the full moon. From Earth, we see the moon half-lit. Actually, we’re seeing one quarter of the moon – hence the name – because the rest of the lit part is on the far side where we can’t see it. A last quarter moon looks like half a pie. It is also called third quarter moon.

A last quarter moon appears half-lit by sunshine and half-immersed in its own shadow. It rises in the middle of the night, appears at its highest in the sky around dawn, and sets around midday.