Phases of Moon takes the same idea as other GNOME moon‑phase extensions but does the one (obvious) thing they don’t: it shows the phase as a graphic.
Clicking on the panel icon reveals a large illuminated orb relaying the current phase, plus written details on when the next lunar phase is due, etc.
I wrote about the Luna extension earlier this year. It’s a similarly-purposed applet for the astronomically minded — alas, it’s been having issues of late.
Phases of Moon is a solid alternative to that. Plus, unlike desktop apps or a websites that can tell you the same info but require you to switch away from what you’re doing, Phases of Moon orbits your desktop in the top bar, always visible (bar odd occasions – a bit like the real deal).
The icon in the panel denotes the current lunar phase, as does the graphic inside the popup – which also lists phase name, illumination percentage, age of the active phase, and countdown (in days, hours and minutes) until the next lunar phase or event.
Most calculations are handled locally on your machine but Phases of the Moon will pull in data from Starwalk, including that big ol’ moon image. If you click on the info in the pop up it takes you to a detailed lunar calendar on the Starwalk website.
A small set of options are provided, letting you pick a style of moon graphic (normal or inverted for light mode), pick a preferred panel position and set its index position to control precisely where it sits amongst other top bar icons.
Worth installing? As a humbling reminder that a ball of rock floating in space can stick to a schedule better than I can — sure! Perfect for night photographers, space geeks, the spiritually-minded and (of course) werewolf hunters.
Source code is on GitHub, but it’s easier to install it from GNOME Extensions (see below). It supports GNOME 46, 47, 48 and 49, which means if you run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or later, you’re good to go.