The next new moon is on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 2:52 p.m. EST. It is the first new moon of the 2026.
The four primary lunar phases are the new moon, the first quarter, the full moon, and the last quarter. The lunar month last approximately a month or 29.53 days on average, also called a synodic month.
A new moon is the first lunar phase. You may be able to see a hint of it of it in the night sky. A full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon, allowing the moon to appear illuminated entirely. The first quarter moon occurs between the new moon and the full moon, and the last quarter moon occurs after the full moon and before the next new moon.
All times and dates are in the United States Eastern Time Zone, with Daylight Savings Time observed for part of the year. The dates in your local time may shift.
Take a look at the Next new moon
The next new moon is on Sunday, January 18th at 2:52 p.m. following the last new moon. The January new moon is the first new moon of the year and is the new moon in Sagittarius. It starts the lunar cycle for the snow moon.
The January 18 New Moon is the first new moon of Winter as the first to occur after the 2025 Winter Solstice. Depending on the year, the January new moon is either the first or second Winter New moon. The season changed on Sunday, December 21st at 10:03 a.m. with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.
Name of the New Moon
In 2026, the name of the next new moon will be the New Snow Moon as it starts of the Snow Moon cycle.
The Snow Moon nickname is given to the February full moon, named for the usually frequent snow that occurs at that time of the year. It’s a fitting name for a moon that’s part of the Winter season.
Other nicknames for the February full moon include the Hunger Moon, Chaste Moon, and Storm Moon. The February Full Moon Name is also an alternate nickname for the January Full Moon is also the Full Snow Moon. Sometimes the names overlap depending on the source.
Will there there a Solar Eclipse during the New Moon?
No, there will not be a solar eclipse during the next new moon on January 18th. The solar eclipses will occur in February and August for the year.
Is the next new moon a supermoon or micromoon?
No, the next new moon in January will not be a new supermoon or new micromoon.
The 2026 super new moons will be from April to August. And there won’t be new micro moon during the year. The upcoming December new moon will be the furthest away but just falling short of a micromoon distance.
A supermoon is a full or new moon that nearly coincides with the closest point at which the Moon comes to Earth in its orbit, called perigee. There isn’t an official definition of the exact distance the moon needs to be to be called a supermoon. It’s approximately 360,000 kilometers or closer, depending on the definition.
The new moon must be at least 405,000 km away from the Earth to be considered a micromoon.
Will January be a black moon?
No, there will not be a black moon in January. January will have one new moon, not two. Recently there was a seasonal black moon in 2025 in August as summer had an extra new moon.
There are multipe definitions of black moons. The most common, and the one you likely know, is when two new moons occur in the same month. The second new moon is typically called a black moon.
The second definition relates to having an extra new moon on the calendar during a season. When a season has four new moons, the third new moon is also called a black moon or a seasonal black moon.
The other definitions of a black moon are related to February when the month doesn’t have both a full and new moon.
Lunar month starting with the January New Moon
Below are the four core moon phases for the Snow Moon, including the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter.
| Date & Time | Phase | Season | Moon Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 18, 2026 2:52 p.m. EST | New | Winter | New Snow Moon |
| January 25, 2026 11:47 p.m. EST | First Quater | Winter | Snow First Quarter |
| February 1, 2026 5:09 p.m. EST | Full | Winter | Full Snow Moon |
| February 9, 2026 7:43 a.m. EST | Last Quarter | Winter | Snow Last Quarter |
Sources
The dates and times provided by NASA are set to United States Eastern Time and adjusted for Daylight Saving Time for part of the year. Since you may be in a different time zone, the exact dates may shift for your calendar.