20+ Sun and Moon Tattoo Designs That Are Written in the Stars [2025]

You know what’s been lighting up my Instagram feed lately? Sun and moon tattoos – and honestly, I’m here for it. In my decade of covering tattoo trends, I’ve watched celestial designs evolve from simple crescent moons to some seriously creative masterpieces. Just last week at a convention in Portland, I spotted more cosmic-inspired pieces than ever before.

These designs have become such hot property that even my most traditional artists are putting their own spin on them. One artist I interviewed told me she’s doing at least three celestial pieces a week – crazy, right? But after seeing hundreds of these designs come through my studio visits, I totally get the appeal. There’s something eternal about carrying a piece of the cosmos on your skin.

I spent weeks sorting through photos from my favorite artists and pulled together 20 sun and moon designs that stopped me in my tracks. Some are bold and graphic, others delicate as lace.

My personal favorite? Number 6 on this list – the way the artist merged the sun and moon faces into one harmonious design, with those gorgeous orange and violet tones… chef’s kiss. But honestly, every design here brings something unique to the table.

Ready to see what these artists came up with?

1. Crescent Moon Embraced by Radiant Sun Tattoo

This tattoo design features a central crescent moon delicately embraced by the fiery rays of the sun. The moon’s gentle curve contrasts beautifully with the sun’s energetic bursts, creating a dynamic interplay between these celestial symbols.

Tiny dots scatter outward, giving a sense of movement and vibrancy to the design. Set against the natural backdrop of grassy surroundings, this celestial dance celebrates the eternal harmony between light and dark, day and night.

2. Celestial Sun and Crescent Moon Tattoo

Feast your eyes on this whimsical celestial dance! The intricate linework forms a stylized sun with a serene face, its flowing rays extending outwards like twirling tendrils. A crescent moon arcs gracefully above, speckled with white stars. Delicate leaves and petals trail below, grounding the cosmic choreography in nature.

The sun’s feminine features are framed by swirling rays that emanate warmth and energy. The crescent moon above has an ethereal glow, complemented by scattered stars twinkling in the inky background. This dynamic scene captures the eternal dance between the heavenly sun and moon in all its glory.

The flowing organic elements below anchor the celestial figures, hinting at the cycle of growth and renewal guided by the sun and moon’s cosmic rhythms. This fanciful design breathes life into the astronomical partnership that illuminates our world.

3. Smiling Sun Embraced by Crescent Moon and Stars Tattoo

Here’s an intricate tattoo design that showcases a harmonious relationship between celestial elements. A cheerful sun with closed eyes and a contented smile takes center stage, its yellow rays extending outward.

Encircling the sun is a deep purple crescent moon, almost cradling it with its curved shape. Scattered among the moon’s indigo surface are four delicate white stars, twinkling in the cosmic scene. The carefully balanced composition conveys a sense of tranquility and unity between the sun, moon, and stars, as if they’re engaging in a heavenly dance across the night sky.

The vivid colors and detailed linework bring this celestial embrace to life on the skin.

4. Smiling Sun with Blazing Orange Rays Tattoo

This sun and moon tattoo design immediately catches the eye with its intricate details and warm color palette. At the center, a smiling crescent moon with a whimsical expression gazes outward, enclosed within a round golden sun.

Radiating from the sun’s edge are undulating rays in shades of brilliant orange and yellow, giving the impression of blazing solar energy. The rays curve and twist outward in a dynamic, almost flamelike pattern. Grounding the celestial design is a thick olive green ring that encircles the sun, providing an earthy contrast to the fiery hues.

This cheerful tattoo beautifully captures the harmonious relationship between the sun and moon, radiating joy and positivity.

5. Smiling Sun Bursting and Crescent Moon Companion tattoo

Talk about radiating joy and energy! This sun and moon tattoo is like a burst of sunshine on your skin. The sun’s smiling face beams brightly, its rays bursting outward in bold strokes of red, yellow, and orange.

A teal crescent moon arcs gracefully alongside, its swirling patterns reminiscent of ocean waves. Surrounding the celestial pair are whimsical flourishes in black ink, dancing across the skin like rays of sunlight filtering through leaves.

The harmonious pairing exudes a sense of balance and natural flow, inviting you into a warm, cheerful world.

6. Sun and Moon Intertwined in Radiant Embrace Tattoo

This tattoo design beautifully captures the celestial duality of the sun and moon. The radiant sun, rendered in oranges and yellows, casts its glowing rays outward like a brilliant corona. Yet the moon, its cool violet tones speckled with stars, shares an intimate embrace with the sun’s warmth.

Their faces merge into one harmonious form, gazing outward with ornate embellishments framing their joined visages. Below, the crescent moon phase echoes in teal hues, its sinuous curves flowing gracefully.

This celestial dance of light and dark, warmth and coolness, creates a captivating scene of cosmic balance etched forever on the skin’s canvas.

7. Brilliant Sun Bursting Forth from Crescent Moon Embrace Tattoo

Here’s a tattoo design featuring a sun encircled by a glowing crescent moon. The sun’s radiant orange center is surrounded by bold yellow rays that burst outward with energetic movement.

The crescent moon’s curved form embraces the sun, its pale white and green shades creating a harmonious contrast. Sharp red and black accents along the edges add a dynamic, fiery quality to the image, suggesting the eternal dance between light and darkness, day and night.

The circular composition draws the eye inward, inviting contemplation of the celestial beings’ eternal relationship.

8. Smiling Sun Bursting Through Emerald Waves and Blooming Flora Tattoo

The sun radiates warmth and joy in this tattoo, its golden rays beaming outwards as a cheerful face emerges. Swirling around the sun are waves of emerald green, undulating like the ocean’s currents.

Clusters of delicate floral buds bloom in gentle shades, nestled amongst the ebb and flow of the design. A single bright star twinkles in the corner, guiding your eye through this dynamic scene that celebrates the life-giving energy of the sun.

The mesmerizing interplay of light, water, and nature creates a sense of harmonious balance.

9. Celestial Embrace – Sun and Moon Merged in Eternal Kiss Tattoo

This captivating tattoo design showcases the sun and moon embracing as one, their celestial forms merging in an eternal kiss. The sun radiates rich golden hues, while the moon basks in shades of lavender and teal, their contrasting colors blending harmoniously.

Intricate black linework surrounds them, forming intricate rays that stretch outward, symbolizing their cosmic union. The closed eyes of the celestial figures convey a sense of tranquility and unity, as if caught in a moment of divine serenity.

This celestial embrace beautifully captures the timeless dance between the sun and moon, celebrating their enduring connection.

10. Radiant Sun Face Gazing Upon Celestial Moon Tattoo

Get a load of this vivid tattoo design depicting a sun face, its warm orange rays radiating outwards with a burst of energy. The sun’s anthropomorphic features are alive with expression, two blue eyes peering out from the orange disc.

Balancing this celestial display is a deep blue crescent moon below, its cratered surface standing in contrast to the sun’s fiery countenance. Delicate starbursts and geometric patterns frame the scene, hinting at ancient symbols and celestial alignments.

The dynamic composition captures the eternal dance between sun and moon, radiant celestial bodies that have captivated humanity since the dawn of time.

11. Fiery Sun Rays Embracing Crescent Moon Tattoo

This celestial tattoo design showcases the harmonious interplay between the sun and moon in a beautifully fiery way. A sun, ablaze with shades of orange and red, extends its scorching rays that seem to lovingly envelop a crescent moon.

The crescent, depicted in shades of charcoal grey and adorned with twinkling star-like accents, appears to be nestled within the sun’s warm embrace. The intricate linework and shading create a sense of depth and movement, breathing life into this celestial dance.

The sun’s intense rays radiate outward, their fiery tips licking at the surrounding skin, creating a dynamic and captivating scene.

12. Minimalist Sun and Shooting Star Tattoo

This minimalist tattoo design features a simple yet striking combination of celestial elements. A bold outline of the sun takes center stage, with rays bursting outward from its circular form. Adjacent to the sun, a small five-pointed star etches its presence, almost appearing like a shooting star trailing across the sky.

The clean black lines create a harmonious duality against the bare skin canvas, inviting you to ponder the vastness and beauty of the cosmos.

Despite its simplicity, this design holds deep symbolism, capturing the essence of the sun’s radiant energy and the fleeting magic of a celestial traveler streaking through the night.

13. Sun and Crescent Moon Dance Over Blossoming Branches Tattoo

This tattoo design features a sun and crescent moon harmoniously sharing the celestial canvas. The sun radiates with a warm orange glow, its stylized rays extending outward like welcoming arms. A serene face peers out from the sun’s center, observing the natural world unfold below.

The crescent moon hangs suspended above twisting branches adorned with delicate blossoms. Its cool blue hues provide a calming contrast to the sun’s fiery intensity. Together, these celestial bodies preside over the flowering scene, their eternal dance a reminder of the cycles of life and nature’s enduring beauty.

The intricate linework weaves the various elements together, creating a cohesive and visually arresting design. This tattoo is a celebration of the harmonious relationship between the heavenly bodies and the earthly realm they illuminate.

14. Crescent Moon Waning Over Radiant Sun Face Tattoo

This tattoo design features a large sun face at the center, its expression serene yet radiant. Intricate rays composed of dots and dashes emanate outwards, creating a brilliant halo effect. Above the sun, a slender crescent moon hangs delicately, surrounded by a smattering of stars.

The celestial elements seem to dance across your skin, capturing the eternal rhythm of the sun and moon in their cosmic choreography.

The dotted lines trailing down evoke a sense of ethereal energy flowing from this celestial scene, as if the heavenly bodies are bestowing their radiance upon you.

15. Celestial Bodies Aligned in Delicate Symmetry Tattoo

This minimalist tattoo design captures the celestial dance of the sun, moon, and stars in a graceful, harmonious arrangement.

At the center, a sunburst motif radiates outward, its rays extending like beams of light. Suspended below hangs a crescent moon, gently cradled between two clusters of intricate star patterns.

The entire composition exudes a sense of balance and rhythm, as if depicting the cosmic bodies moving in their ordained orbits. The delicate linework and understated elegance allow the natural symbolism of these celestial elements to shine through, creating a subtle yet profound statement on your arm.

16. Crescent Moon Winking Among Celestial Rays Tattoo

Check out this intricate sun and moon tattoo design featuring a crescent moon with a whimsical face, winking its eye amid a backdrop of emanating rays. The radiating beams stretch outward like the sun’s flares, creating a celestial composition.

The purposeful dotting throughout the design adds a subtle textural element, enhancing the celestial ambiance.

This imaginative portrayal of the moon as a playful, personified character exudes a sense of wonder and delight.

17. Cartoonish Beauty Framed by Fiery Sunbursts Tattoo

This tattoo design showcases a whimsical sun character, its stylized face radiating warmth and energy. The central figure has large, expressive eyes framed by long, lush lashes, giving it an almost human-like quality.

Surrounding the face is an ornate frame of swirling, flame-like sunbursts in shades of golden yellow and fiery orange. These burst outwards, their pointed tips licking at the edges of a deep purple backdrop speckled with delicate stars. Intertwined with the sunburst tendrils are curvaceous teal patterns reminiscent of ocean waves, creating a harmonious blend of celestial and earthly elements.

This enchanting design beautifully captures the radiant essence of the sun in a playful, imaginative style.

18. Minimalist Sun Etched into Skin’s Canvas

This tattoo design captures the essence of the sun’s radiance, etched into the living canvas of your skin. A perfectly round orb takes center stage, its outline thin yet boldly defined.

Radiating outwards are elongated flames, each meticulously rendered with stippled dots that create a sense of texture and depth. These fiery tendrils seem to dance and flicker, as if the sun itself has been brought to life through the artistry of ink and needle.

The simple black outline allows the design to stand out starkly against your skin’s natural hue, ensuring that this symbol of warmth and energy will forever be a sight to behold.

19. Yin Yang of Celestial Sisters Tattoo

This sun and moon tattoo portrays the eternal dance between light and dark, day and night. The sun’s radiant face gazes serenely, her eyes closed in peaceful slumber, while the crescent moon observes with a watchful eye.

Their cosmic embrace forms a perfect yin yang – the sun’s brilliant rays merging into the moon’s cratered surface. This harmonious dichotomy represents the sacred balance that governs the universe, where one cannot exist without the other.

The artistry captures the mystic allure of these celestial sisters, their entwined destinies etched forever upon the canvas of your skin.

20. Celestial Shoulder Tattoo

This intricate sun and moon tattoo is a design that’ll catch anyone’s eye. The radiant sun at the center features a bold black circle, surrounded by wispy, fiery rays extending outward.

These rays intertwine seamlessly with the crescent shape of the moon, creating a harmonious celestial balance. The moon’s surface is delicately shaded, adding depth and dimension to the piece.

The entire design rests on your shoulder, your skin providing a natural canvas that allows the cosmic imagery to shine.

Conclusion

After showcasing thousands of tattoos on this blog, I can honestly say that sun and moon designs hit different. These 20 pieces barely scratch the surface of what’s possible, but they show exactly why celestial tattoos have become such a cornerstone in modern ink culture.

What blows my mind is how each artist brings their own perspective to these timeless symbols. From the delicate linework in that first piece to the bold color work in the final design, every tattoo tells its own story while celebrating the same cosmic dance that’s captivated humans since forever.

Whether you’re a first-timer or adding to your collection, remember that your perfect celestial piece is out there. Take these designs to your artist – they’re great jumping-off points for creating something uniquely yours. And hey, if you end up getting inked with one of these styles, tag us in your photos. You know I’m always stoked to see how these inspirations come to life on skin.

Next week, we’ll be diving into watercolor tattoo techniques, but for now, keep your eyes on the stars – and maybe start planning your next cosmic piece!