Moon symbol

A crescent — the Moon, and silver in alchemy.

Also known as: Lunar symbol, Crescent moon symbol, Luna symbol, Silver symbol

Astrology & astronomyScientificHistorical & archaeologicalStandard profile

Meanings

A crescent denotes the Moon. Its direction carries information: the first-quarter symbol opens one way and the last-quarter the other, so the mark records a phase and not just the body.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Denotes the Moon, with the crescent's direction distinguishing the first quarter from the last.
Contexts: History
Historically documentedDocumented interpretation
Denoted silver in alchemical writing.
A record of what alchemists wrote, not a claim that the association holds. The planet–metal correspondences were a system of belief, and the chemistry they rest on is not sound.
Medieval and early modern alchemy · Contexts: History
Common modern usageTradition
Is held in astrological tradition to signify emotion, instinct and the inner life.
Recorded as what astrological tradition assigns, not as a finding. Symbolwise does not assert that any planet influences anything, and astrology has no empirical standing.
Contexts: History
Common modern usageVerified fact
Is not the star and crescent, which is a distinct symbol with its own religious and national associations. The crescent alone is astronomical; the crescent with a star is not.
Worth stating plainly, because a bare crescent is frequently read as the Islamic symbol when it appears without its star.
Contexts: History

Visual description

A curved sickle shape, thick at the middle and tapering to points at both ends, open to one side.

Symmetry: horizontal
Orientation: upright

Commonly confused with: Star and crescent
A bare crescent is frequently taken for the star and crescent, which is a different symbol carrying religious and national associations the astronomical mark does not.
Commonly confused with: Dark mode moon symbol
The astronomical crescent stands for the Moon itself; the interface one is a display setting that borrows the shape.
Opposite of: Sun symbol
Sun and Moon are paired throughout astronomical, alchemical and astrological usage.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Astronomical symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Planet symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Unicode Code Chart: Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Alchemical symbol
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

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Planetary symbols and their older meanings

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Meanings

A crescent denotes the Moon. Its direction carries information: the first-quarter symbol opens one way and the last-quarter the other, so the mark records a phase and not just the body.

Common modern usageVerified fact

Denotes the Moon, with the crescent's direction distinguishing the first quarter from the last.

Contexts: History

Historically documentedDocumented interpretation

Denoted silver in alchemical writing.

A record of what alchemists wrote, not a claim that the association holds. The planet–metal correspondences were a system of belief, and the chemistry they rest on is not sound.

Medieval and early modern alchemy · Contexts: History

Common modern usageTradition

Is held in astrological tradition to signify emotion, instinct and the inner life.

Recorded as what astrological tradition assigns, not as a finding. Symbolwise does not assert that any planet influences anything, and astrology has no empirical standing.

Contexts: History

Common modern usageVerified fact

Is not the star and crescent, which is a distinct symbol with its own religious and national associations. The crescent alone is astronomical; the crescent with a star is not.

Worth stating plainly, because a bare crescent is frequently read as the Islamic symbol when it appears without its star.

Contexts: History

Related & commonly confused symbols

Commonly confused with: Star and crescent
A bare crescent is frequently taken for the star and crescent, which is a different symbol carrying religious and national associations the astronomical mark does not.
Commonly confused with: Dark mode moon symbol
The astronomical crescent stands for the Moon itself; the interface one is a display setting that borrows the shape.
Opposite of: Sun symbol
Sun and Moon are paired throughout astronomical, alchemical and astrological usage.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Astronomical symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Planet symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Unicode Code Chart: Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Alchemical symbol
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31