Moon
The Moon is a prominent feature of the night sky. It is a large bright square on the celestial sphere that sits opposite the sun, illuminating the world at a much lower light level that (usually) fends off gloom, but does not prevent hostile mobs.
It is prudent to keep track of the phase of the moon at all times, as it has a number of effects on the world. The moon progresses through its phases at a far quicker rate than its real-life counterpart. Every day has a distinct phase, and a full cycle is completed every 8 days. Over the course of this time period, the nights get progressively darker and then brighter again as a shadow creeps across the moon's surface from north to south. The phase of the moon has a number of effects on the world:
Phase | Full Moon |
Gibbous Moon |
Quarter Moon |
Crescent Moon |
New Moon |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light level | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | Absolute darkness |
Fishing rate (compared to day) |
Significantly increased |
Reduced | Reduced | Reduced | Reduced |
Slime spawns | Most | — | — | Fewest | None |
Interaction with Hardcore Spawn
The first night in any new world will always be a full moon. However, the same is not true for Hardcore Spawns that relocate the player; these merely 'advance time to the immediate next morning, and as a result, even your first night after a respawn can be a new moon. A notable effect is that, if you died during the day, then one phase of the moon will appear to be skipped (since time was fast-forwarded through the following night).
Trivia
- Wolves howl more frequently on a Full Moon.
- One can tell apart a waxing moon from a waning moon by observing the side of the shadow, which creeps from north to south along the moon's surface.
- Though the composition of the moon is a hotly-debated topic, most can agree that it is probably not safe to eat.