Moon phases and stargazing: why a Full Moon hides the stars

Last updated 31 Oct 2026 • By the Spider Astro team

The Moon is lovely to watch any night, but it is also nature's street lamp that drowns out faint stars. Knowing the phases helps you choose a better night to stargaze.

What are the phases?

The cycle of Moon phases takes about 29.5 days. As the Moon orbits the Earth we see different amounts of its sunlit half. While it is waxing the lit part grows until the Full Moon, then it wanes until it is completely dark at New Moon.

When does the Moon rise and set? (rule of thumb)

• New Moon: rises and sets with the Sun. The night sky is darkest — best for stargazing.
• First quarter (waxing half): up from the evening, sets around midnight.
• Full Moon: rises at sunset, stays up all night, sets at sunrise; the brightest.
• Last quarter (waning half): rises around midnight and stays until morning; the early evening is still dark.

New Moon and Full Moon dates

Calculated from real celestial positions, Thailand time. Check an official astronomy calendar before relying on them.

Pick the night for what you want to see

• Milky Way, faint stars, star clusters: choose the days around New Moon, and the hours when the Moon is not up.
• The Moon itself, craters: use binoculars around the quarter phases — the shadows along the terminator show the most detail.
• Bright planets (Venus, Jupiter): visible even in moonlight.