Moon Phases in Google Sheets
Formula
Look up the lunar phase by the row. =VERVE("moonphases", A2) returns the moon phase for any date down a column — Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("moonphases")=VERVE.CALL("moonphases")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
today | boolean | "today", value | Get the moon phase for today (e.g. true) |
Passing an option
=VERVE("moonphases", "today", "true")What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("moonphases", "field", "phase")=VERVE.CALL("moonphases", "field", "phase")Available fields
#PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
phase | string | Waning Crescent | Current moon phase name |
phaseEmoji | string | 🌘 | Emoji showing the current phase |
illumination | number | 9.9 | Approximate illumination percentage (0-100) |
waxing | boolean | false | Whether the illuminated fraction is growing |
waning | boolean | true | Whether the illuminated fraction is shrinking |
lunarAge | number | 26.61193415670738 | Days since the last new moon |
lunarAgePercent | number | 0.9011650706672754 | How far through the lunar cycle the moon is, from 0 to 1 |
lunationNumber | number | 1274 | Which lunar cycle this is, counting from the new moon of January 1923 |
lunarDistance | number | 63.77810628163608 | Distance to the moon in Earth radii |
nextFullMoonPremium | string | 2026-01-16T00:00:00Z | Date of next full moon |
lastFullMoonPremium | string | 2025-11-17T00:00:00Z | Date of last full moon |
daysToFullMoonPremium | number | 28 | Days until next full moon |
daysSinceFullMoonPremium | number | 2 | Days since last full moon |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in moonphases | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use Moon Phases in Google Sheets
Set up Moon Phases in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Moon Phases in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("moonphases", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("moonphases", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.