A print of the sky you were under
The moon goes round its phases every 29.5 days, so the night of any date has its own moon: a thin crescent, a half, or nearly full. Lunette works out the exact phase for the date and time you give it and draws that moon on a real photographic texture.
Add up to six dates for the whole family and download a print at 300 dpi. Every moon gets its name, its date and how much of it was lit.
Questions
How do you work out the phase?
From the positions of the Sun and the Moon at the time you pick, using a shortened version of the formulas in Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms. It's good to a few minutes for full and new moons. If you leave the time blank we use 9 in the evening, your time, the night of that date.
Is the moon picture real?
The moon is a photographic texture and the shadow is drawn from the maths for your date, so a waxing crescent is lit on the right and a waning one on the left, as seen from the northern hemisphere. Choose Southern hemisphere to turn it the way it looked from there.
Can I print it?
Yes. Downloads are PNG files at 300 dpi for A4, 8 × 10 in, 11 × 14 in and a 30 cm square, plus a phone size for sharing. Print at home on matte paper or take the file to any print shop. Free for personal use.
How many dates can I add?
Up to six. With one, the moon fills the print; with more, each gets its own name and date underneath.
Do you keep my dates?
No. Names and dates stay on this device. We count page views without cookies.