Moon Phase & Visuals
Moon Phase & Visuals
/api/v1/moon/phaseRetrieve detailed moon phase data, including illumination, age, distance, zodiac sign, and optional solar or lunar eclipse details. Generate high-quality SVG visuals for any date and observer location.
Need a full monthly lunar calendar or ingress timeline? Use the Moon Phase Timeline API docs for /api/v1/moon/month.
Full URL
https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/phaseMonthly Calendar Endpoint
Use /api/v1/moon/month when you need a full calendar month in one request. It accepts the same optional include flags as /phase and returns a days array, with one moon snapshot per calendar date. When you pass coordinates, each snapshot is taken at local midnight for that resolved timezone and each row is labeled with calendar_date. Enable include_sign_timeline=true to also receive Moon sign intervals with start/end times, durations, transition labels, and a separate ingresses event array for cleaner timeline rendering.
Access is limited to Entry and High plans.
https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/monthcurl -X GET "https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/month?year=2026&month=4&lat=48.8566&lon=2.3522&include_zodiac=true&include_traditional_moon=true&include_sign_timeline=true" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"{
"year": 2026,
"month": 4,
"month_name": "April",
"days_in_month": 30,
"calendar_basis": "local",
"calendar_timezone": "Europe/Paris",
"sign_timeline": [
{
"sign": "Leo",
"sign_id": "leo",
"starts_at": "2026-03-31T22:00:00Z",
"ends_at": "2026-04-02T11:14:00Z",
"starts_at_local": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+02:00",
"ends_at_local": "2026-04-02T13:14:00+02:00",
"duration_hours": 37.23,
"duration_minutes": 2234,
"next_sign": "Virgo",
"next_sign_id": "virgo",
"label": "Leo -> Virgo",
"continues_from_previous_month": true,
"continues_to_next_month": false
}
],
"ingresses": [
{
"from_sign": "Leo",
"from_sign_id": "leo",
"to_sign": "Virgo",
"to_sign_id": "virgo",
"at": "2026-04-02T11:14:00Z",
"at_local": "2026-04-02T13:14:00+02:00",
"label": "Leo -> Virgo"
}
],
"days": [
{
"calendar_date": "2026-04-01",
"timestamp": "2026-03-31T22:00:00+00:00",
"phase": {
"name": "Waning Gibbous",
"phase_angle_deg": 214.63,
"illumination": 0.91,
"age_days": 17.6,
"distance_km": 384120,
"is_waxing": false
},
"zodiac": {
"sign": "Scorpio",
"sign_id": "scorpio",
"degree": 18.2,
"zodiac_type": "tropical"
},
"traditional_moon": {
"name": "Pink Moon",
"naming_system": "north_american_traditional",
"month": "April",
"applies_to_full_moon_at": "2026-04-02T02:46:09Z",
"is_current_full_moon": false
},
"next_phases": {
"new_moon": "2026-04-17T12:22:51Z",
"first_quarter": "2026-04-24T23:10:00Z",
"full_moon": "2026-05-01T15:00:00Z",
"last_quarter": "2026-04-10T04:17:02Z"
},
"eclipse": {
"is_eclipse": false,
"is_blood_moon": false
}
}
]
}Query Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| date | string | No | now | ISO 8601 datetime (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS) or 'now'. |
| city | string | No | - | City name for coordinate lookup (alternative to lat/lon). |
| lat | float | No | - | Latitude for observer-specific rise/set and eclipse visibility data. |
| lon | float | No | - | Longitude for observer-specific rise/set and eclipse visibility data. |
| tz_str | string | No | AUTO | Timezone string for naive datetime interpretation and local outputs. |
| include_zodiac | boolean | No | false | Include the Moon's tropical zodiac sign. |
| include_rise_set | boolean | No | false | Include rise/set times (requires city or lat/lon). |
| include_visuals | boolean | No | false | Include SVG visualization and shadow ratio. |
| include_special | boolean | No | false | Detect special moon types: Supermoon, Blue Moon, Harvest Moon, etc. |
| include_eclipse | boolean | No | false | Check for the nearest solar or lunar eclipse within 15 days. Returns kind, type, contact times, magnitude, and location-specific visibility when coordinates are provided. |
| include_forecast | boolean | No | false | Get days until the next full/new moon and special moons, plus next_eclipse (lunar, retained for compatibility) and next_solar_eclipse. |
| include_interpretation | boolean | No | false | Include psychological/spiritual interpretation based on Moon sign, phase, and decan. |
| include_traditional_moon | boolean | No | false | Include the traditional North American full moon name for the current or next full moon. Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon are resolved by event timing. |
| style_moon_color | string | No | #E0E0E0 | Hex color for moon illumination in SVG. |
| style_shadow_color | string | No | #1A1A1A | Hex color for moon shadow in SVG. |
Observer Location
The Moon Phase endpoint calculates the geocentric phase by default. Provide location via city or lat/lon for observer-specific data.
- Timezone handling:
tz_strdefaults toAUTO, which resolves timezone fromcityorlat/lon. You can also pass an explicit IANA timezone such asEurope/Paris. - Rise/Set times: Requires
cityorlat/lon. - Eclipse kinds:
kindissolarorlunar; solar types include total, annular, hybrid, and partial. - Eclipse visibility: When a location is provided, returns
visible_at_location; visible solar eclipses also returntype_at_location(total, annular, or partial), local contact times, magnitude, and obscuration. - Special moons: Supermoon, Blue Moon, Harvest Moon detection.
- Blood Moon:
is_blood_moonflag for total lunar eclipses. - Forecast: Days until next full/new moon and special moons, plus separate next lunar and solar eclipse data.
- Traditional full moon names: Optional North American labels like
Wolf MoonorPink Moon;Harvest MoonandHunter's Moonare calculated by event timing. - SVG colors customizable via
style_moon_colorandstyle_shadow_color.
Solar Eclipse Example
curl -X GET "https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/phase?date=2026-08-12T17:47:00Z&lat=48.8566&lon=2.3522&include_eclipse=true&include_forecast=true" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"Traditional Moon Names Returned By The Endpoint
Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, Worm Moon, Pink Moon, Flower Moon, Strawberry Moon, Buck Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, Beaver Moon, and Cold Moon.
Visual Response Examples
The API returns a procedural SVG that adapts to the moon's exact phase angle. Below are examples of common phases with their corresponding phase_angle_deg.
Moon Interpretation (Optional)
Enable include_interpretation=true to add one psychological/spiritual interpretation block derived from Moon sign + phase + decan. This is disabled by default.
curl -X GET "https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/phase?date=2026-03-09&lat=48.866669&lon=2.33333&include_zodiac=true&include_interpretation=true" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"Sample Code
curl -X GET "https://api.freeastroapi.com/api/v1/moon/phase?date=2024-01-01T12:00:00&include_visuals=true&include_zodiac=true&include_interpretation=true&include_traditional_moon=true" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"Response Data
{
// Always returned:
"timestamp": "2024-01-01T12:00:00Z",
"phase": {
"name": "Waning Gibbous",
"phase_angle_deg": 241.36,
"illumination": 0.785,
"age_days": 19.4,
"distance_km": 384400,
"is_waxing": false
},
"next_phases": {
"new_moon": "2024-01-11T11:57:00Z",
"first_quarter": "2024-01-24T13:28:00Z",
"full_moon": "2024-01-25T17:54:00Z",
"last_quarter": "2024-02-02T23:18:00Z"
},
// Only when include_zodiac=true:
"zodiac": {
"sign": "Leo",
"sign_id": "leo",
"degree": 15.42,
"zodiac_type": "tropical"
},
// Only when include_visuals=true:
"moon_visual": {
"type": "svg",
"svg": "<svg>...</svg>",
"shadow_ratio": 0.215,
"waxing": false
},
// Only when include_special=true:
"special_moon": {
"is_supermoon": true,
"is_micromoon": false,
"is_blue_moon": false,
"is_black_moon": false,
"is_harvest_moon": false,
"is_hunter_moon": false,
"labels": ["Supermoon"]
},
// Detailed fields populate when include_eclipse=true and an eclipse is within 15 days:
"eclipse": {
"is_eclipse": true,
"is_blood_moon": false,
"kind": "solar",
"type": "total",
"date": "2026-08-12T17:45:59Z",
"starts_at": "2026-08-12T15:34:33Z",
"ends_at": "2026-08-12T19:57:58Z",
"central_phase_starts_at": "2026-08-12T16:58:09Z",
"central_phase_ends_at": "2026-08-12T18:34:00Z",
"days_from_query": 0.0,
"magnitude": 1.0395,
"obscuration": 1.0,
"maximum_location": {
"lat": 65.1653,
"lon": -25.1048
},
"visible_at_location": true,
"type_at_location": "partial",
"local_starts_at": "2026-08-12T17:22:13Z",
"local_maximum_at": "2026-08-12T18:17:19Z",
"local_ends_at": "2026-08-12T19:09:26Z",
"magnitude_at_location": 0.9309,
"obscuration_at_location": 0.921
},
// Only when include_forecast=true:
"forecast": {
"days_until_full_moon": 24.8,
"days_until_new_moon": 10.8,
"next_special_moon": {
"type": "Supermoon",
"subtype": "new",
"days_until": 99.5
},
"next_eclipse": {
"kind": "lunar",
"type": "total",
"is_blood_moon": true,
"date": "2026-03-03T11:33:00Z",
"days_until": 24.8
},
"next_solar_eclipse": {
"kind": "solar",
"type": "annular",
"is_blood_moon": false,
"date": "2026-02-17T12:11:54Z",
"days_until": 10.8,
"magnitude": 0.9638,
"obscuration": 0.9288,
"maximum_location": {
"lat": -64.6838,
"lon": 87.0517
}
}
},
// Only when include_interpretation=true:
"interpretation": {
"key": "planet.moon.sign.scorpio.phase.waning_gibbous.decan.3",
"title": "Moon in Scorpio | Waning Gibbous | 3rd Decan",
"body": "In practical inner work, this placement emphasizes depth, loyalty, and transformative feeling states. With Moon in Scorpio, 3rd decan, expression often takes the form of compassionate surrender, while the pressure point is martyr dynamics. During the Waning Gibbous, momentum sits in integration, so the useful move is to distill the lesson and share it with humility. One reliable devotional discipline is to release what is not yours to carry.",
"tone": "improved",
"tags": ["moon", "scorpio", "waning_gibbous", "decan_3", "water", "fixed", "psychological", "spiritual"]
},
// Only when include_traditional_moon=true:
"traditional_moon": {
"name": "Wolf Moon",
"naming_system": "north_american_traditional",
"month": "January",
"applies_to_full_moon_at": "2024-01-25T17:54:00Z",
"is_current_full_moon": false
}
}