☽


☽ U+263D, ☽
FIRST QUARTER MOON
← ☼
[U+263C] 		Miscellaneous Symbols ☾ →
[U+263E]
An 18th-century astronomical pillar in Scotland. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn are designated 1☽, 2☽, 3☽ &c. (leftmost column).
The 1833 US Nautical Almanac uses ☽ for both the first quarter moon phase (left column) and as a generic symbol for the moon of any phase (right column). Elsewhere in the almanac, ☾ is used as the generic symbol for the moon.

Translingual

Alternative forms
  • ☾ (for all senses but [4]), rarely 🌙︎

Etymology

The lunar crescent is an ancient symbol for the moon.[1] Its orientation varies between encrescent and decrescent.

Symbol

☽

  1. nighttime.
  2. (astronomy, astrology) the Moon.
    a subscript to variables in mathematical equations, such as π☽ (lunar parallax)
    • 1803, Robert Patterson, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, volume 40 (in English), Princeton University Press, published 2013, page 71:
      Suppose the apparent angular distance of the sun & moon's nearest limbs [...] to be 110°.2′.30″ the app. alt of ☉'s lower limb measuring 20°.40′ and that of ☽'s lower limb 35°.24′
  3. (astronomy, rare) a natural satellite (see image at right).
  4. (astronomy, astrology, rare) the first quarter of the Moon.
    Synonym: 🌓︎
  5. (alchemy, archaic) silver.
    Synonym: 🜛
  6. (rare) Monday
    Refers to the Latin phrase dies Lunae, which literally means "Moon's day".
  • Late Classical and Medieval form
    Late Classical and Medieval form
  • A ms form from ca. 1750
    A ms form from ca. 1750
  • A decorative variant in the Netherlands
    A decorative variant in the Netherlands
  • As a symbol for silver
    As a symbol for silver
  • An abstract variant
    An abstract variant
Planetary symbols
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References
  1. Jones, Alexander (1999) Astronomical Papyri from Oxyrhynchus, →ISBN, pages 62–63
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