Your Day of Birth
Phase 3 of 8 · Action and decision

First quarter moon

Exactly half of the Moon is lit, the right half from the Northern Hemisphere. It is called first quarter because the Moon is a quarter of the way around its orbit.

When to look
Rises around noon, is highest at sunset and sets around midnight. A perfect evening moon.
How often
Once every lunar month, about 12 or 13 times a year. The moment happens at one instant, so the phase is named for that single day.

What the first quarter means

ActionDecisionsChallengeCommitment

Half light, half dark: the first quarter is a moment of tension and choice. Folklore treats it as a time to push through obstacles, make decisions and commit to what you started.

Born under a first quarter

First quarter people are said to be builders and doers. They thrive on challenge, make decisions quickly and like to see results. Strong-willed and practical, they clear the path for new things.

Gifts

  • Decisive
  • Strong-willed
  • Practical
  • Good under pressure

Watch out for

  • Can be combative
  • Takes on too much
  • Impatient with indecision

Moon lore

  • Old planting calendars favored the first quarter for sowing leafy crops and anything that grows above ground.
  • Barbers and grandmothers alike advised cutting hair during the waxing moon so it would grow back thicker and faster.
  • It is the best phase for spotting craters with binoculars: along the line between light and dark, shadows are long and sharp.

Next first quarter dates

Sun, Oct 18, 202612:13 PM Eastern
Tue, Nov 17, 20266:48 AM Eastern
Thu, Dec 17, 202612:43 AM Eastern
Fri, Jan 15, 20273:34 PM Eastern
Sun, Feb 14, 20272:58 AM Eastern
Mon, Mar 15, 202712:25 PM Eastern

US Eastern time. See this year’s full moons.

Babies born under a first quarter

US births per day
11,329
2000 to 2014 average
Days in the sample
185
of 5,479
Vs. expected
+0.0%
after weekdays and holidays

In real numbers, the moon makes no meaningful difference to when babies arrive. See every phase compared. Source: SSA daily birth counts via FiveThirtyEight.

Famous people born under a first quarter

Ronald Reagan40th President of the United StatesFebruary 6, 1911Warren BuffettAmerican investor, entrepreneur and businessmanAugust 30, 1930Sylvester StalloneAmerican actor and filmmakerJuly 6, 1946Matt DamonAmerican actorOctober 8, 1970Gisele BündchenBrazilian fashion modelJuly 20, 1980Natalie PortmanIsraeli-American actressJune 9, 1981LeBron JamesAmerican basketball playerDecember 30, 1984Ariana GrandeAmerican singer, songwriter, and actressJune 26, 1993

The moon on your birthday

Uses the US Eastern calendar date. We don’t save your birthdate or link it to you.

The other phases

New moonA fresh startWaxing crescentHope and growthFirst quarterAction and decisionWaxing gibbousRefinementFull moonPeak and illuminationWaning gibbousGratitude and sharingLast quarterReleaseWaning crescentRest and renewal

Phase dates use exact times from NASA (Fred Espenak) in US Eastern time; the day a new, quarter or full moon happens is named for that phase. "Born under" traits and lore come from tradition and astrology and are shared for fun, not fate. Famous birthdays come from Wikidata.