Moon Phase Today Charlottetown

Moon Phase Today Charlottetown: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Charlottetown is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 28.9 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
28.9d
Next Full Moon
Oct 26
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:16 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:03 PM

moon-hanging-low-over-charlottetown-pei

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown sits on a roughly V-shaped point of land where the Hillsborough, North, and West Rivers meet, with the combined harbour opening south into Hillsborough Bay and onward to the Northumberland Strait. That means the city's downtown waterfront faces generally south and southwest across open water — a genuine water-facing vantage, unlike some inland cities. At Charlottetown's latitude of roughly 46°N, the moon's rising point swings much farther along the horizon through the year than it does near the equator: because a full moon sits roughly opposite the sun in the sky, a full moon near the summer solstice generally rises south of east (mirroring where the sun rises in winter), while one near the winter solstice rises north of east (mirroring the sun's summer rise point). The date and your observing location together determine the moon's exact rise time and azimuth; your viewpoint determines how much of that horizon is actually clear of buildings or trees. Here are six locations that offer different ways to experience or photograph the moon.

1

Victoria Park

Charlottetown's largest park, established in 1873 on land donated to the city, with a roughly 1.2 km waterfront boardwalk looping the point where the rivers open into the harbour. The Prince Edward Battery, an early-1800s coastal defence site with cannons, sits partway around the loop with an open view down the harbour toward the strait; Government House (Fanningbank) grounds border the park as well. It's free and widely listed as open 24 hours, though some individual features (the floating dock, for instance) post their own dawn-to-dusk signage — check current posted hours for the area you plan to visit. Brighton Rd, Charlottetown.

2

Confederation Landing Park

A six-acre downtown waterfront park completed in 1995 on the site where the Fathers of Confederation landed in 1864, with a boardwalk, gardens, and a large open lawn facing the harbour. It's free, open year-round, and reviewers describe it as illuminated at night, making it one of the more reliably lit evening spots downtown — check current lighting and any seasonal closures before a night visit. 2 Great George St, Charlottetown.

3

Peake's Wharf

The lively, touristy stretch of boardwalk next to Confederation Landing Park, lined with craft shops, restaurants, and a marina with views across the harbour to the Charlottetown Yacht Club and beyond. Most of the shops and restaurants keep seasonal, daytime-to-evening hours and quiet down considerably outside the summer season, but the boardwalk itself is open public waterfront — check current hours for any specific business before planning a visit around it. Lower Water St, Charlottetown.

4

Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site

A Parks Canada site on Rocky Point, across the harbour mouth from downtown, on a height of land first settled by the French in 1720 and later fortified by the British, whose 1758 stockaded earthworks are what survives on the grounds today. Parks Canada describes the site's trails as offering stunning views of Charlottetown Harbour. The grounds are open year-round, but the trails themselves are not maintained between mid-October and mid-June, and the visitor reception centre keeps a narrow summer window (Friday to Tuesday, July 1 to August 29, with day-use washrooms open mid-June to September 1) — check current conditions before heading out, especially off-season. 191 Haché Gallant Drive, Rocky Point, reached by road around via Route 19.

5

Hillsborough Bridge Active Transportation Pathway

A dedicated walking and cycling path opened in 2021 alongside the Hillsborough Bridge, connecting downtown Charlottetown to Stratford across the Hillsborough River. Being out on the water on a bridge crossing gives an open view up and down the river toward the harbour that's hard to get from either shore. Check current signage for any seasonal or weather-related closures before relying on it, and treat a bridge crossing after dark with the same caution as any roadside path — stay well within the barriered pedestrian lane. Hillsborough Bridge, connecting Charlottetown and Stratford.

6

Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park

A city park at the corner of Grafton and Edward Streets, right where the Confederation Trail enters downtown near the Hillsborough Bridge, with a gazebo, benches, and gardens rather than a sweeping water view. Part of the trail through the park is lit at night, making it a reasonable, unglamorous option for an open-sky stop close to downtown when the busier waterfront spots feel too crowded. Corner of Grafton St and Edward St, Charlottetown.

◉ Best Times for Moon Photography

🌕 Full Moon ±1 day — brightest phase, though not necessarily the most photogenic for every landmark shot
🌔 Days before full — the moon generally rises later each evening as full approaches, eventually rising around sunset at full moon, though the exact timing varies with the date and season
🧭 Big seasonal swings — at Charlottetown's latitude, the moon's rising azimuth moves substantially farther along the horizon between summer and winter than it does in the tropics, so check the exact date before planning a shot against the harbour or a specific landmark

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯Use a sturdy tripod — the open waterfront at Victoria Park and Fort Amherst can pick up real wind off the harbour on days when a sheltered downtown street feels calm
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding harbour, streetlights, or boardwalk lighting
📏Looney 11 rule — a useful starting point for a bright full moon: f/11, ISO 100, 1/100s, then check your histogram and adjust for phase, atmospheric conditions, and your equipment
🌕Low on the horizon, the moon can look strikingly large — that's the well-known "moon illusion," a perceptual effect rather than an actual change in angular size. A telephoto lens doesn't magnify the moon relative to the foreground on its own; shooting from farther away changes the angular size relationship between a distant foreground object and the moon, and a longer focal length just lets you frame that distant composition tightly
🌫️Coastal fog can occur along PEI's shoreline, especially in late spring and early summer when cold water meets warmer air — check the marine forecast, since fog can roll in with little warning even on an otherwise clear night
❄️Charlottetown has a full four-season climate with cold, snowy winters, and harbour ice is possible in the coldest months — waterfront spots can feel considerably colder and windier than they look from indoors, so dress for wind chill, not just air temperature
🕐 Timezone

Charlottetown runs on Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC−4) in winter and Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT, UTC−3) from spring to fall, since Canada observes daylight saving time — unlike some other regions, the clock offset here genuinely changes twice a year. PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots automatically.

Enjoy the moon over Charlottetown — a harbour boardwalk, an 18th-century fort on a grassy height across the water, and a bridge you can stand on to watch the river open out toward the strait.

The moon phase today in Charlottetown is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best local spots to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.

◐ What the Experience Actually Feels Like

At Victoria Park, the boardwalk stays open around the clock, so a late walk past the Prince Edward Battery has a different character than the daytime crowd of joggers and dog walkers — just the sound of water against the shore and the cannons silhouetted against the harbour.

Peake's Wharf and Confederation Landing feel busier and more social, especially in summer, with restaurant patios and the marina's masts adding foreground clutter to any harbour shot — not a drawback so much as a different kind of photo than the quieter water views elsewhere on this list.

Across the harbour at Fort Amherst, the mood shifts again — grassy earthworks, wind off open water, and a sense of looking back at Charlottetown's skyline from the same height of land that Mi'kmaq, French, and British visitors have stood on for centuries.

"At Fort Amherst, you're looking back at Charlottetown's skyline from the same height of land that Mi'kmaq, French, and British visitors have stood on for centuries."

✓ Your Charlottetown Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moonrise time and rise azimuth for your date — at this latitude, the direction shifts much more between seasons than it does near the equator, so don't assume a fixed compass direction
  • Remember Charlottetown's downtown waterfront genuinely faces open water to the south and southwest, but tree lines, bridges, and Rocky Point across the harbour can still block a low moonrise
  • Verify Site Hours: Fort Amherst's visitor reception building typically runs on a summer-only schedule, and Peake's Wharf shops keep seasonal hours — confirm current schedules before planning an off-season evening around either
  • Check current lighting and any seasonal closures at Confederation Landing Park before a night visit
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the marine forecast for fog, especially in late spring and early summer, and for wind and storm activity year-round

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens, often 200mm or longer, to frame the moon against the Prince Edward Battery, the harbour, or the Fort Amherst earthworks
  • Canadian dollars for food or shopping at Peake's Wharf, since the parks themselves are free to enter
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots
  • A windproof layer — the open waterfront spots on this list can pick up more wind than a sheltered downtown street
  • Warm layers and traction footwear in winter, since ice can form on boardwalks and waterfront paths

On the Night

  • As a general recommendation, arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, especially at Peake's Wharf on summer weekend evenings
  • Focus manually on the moon's edge — boardwalk lighting, boat lights, and streetlights can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker harbour, park, or bridge below
  • On the Hillsborough Bridge pathway, stay within the barriered lane and keep clear of traffic at all times
  • Confirm current closing times before you go, and plan to be back with time to spare rather than counting on staying past posted hours
The moon over Charlottetown moves between two very different vantage points on the same harbour — a 24-hour city park on one shore, and an 18th-century fort on a grassy height across the water. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a Charlottetown moonrise for yourself.

? Charlottetown Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Charlottetown?

The moon phase today in Charlottetown is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 26. Moonrise is at 6:16 AM and moonset at 6:03 PM.

Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in Charlottetown?

Victoria Park, the city's largest park, has a roughly 1.2 km waterfront boardwalk around the point where the rivers open into the harbour, with the Prince Edward Battery's cannons as a foreground. Downtown, Confederation Landing Park and the boardwalk at Peake's Wharf face the harbour, with marina masts and lights for a busier, more urban scene. Across the harbour at Rocky Point, Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site gives grassy earthworks and wide harbour views, and the Hillsborough Bridge pathway puts you out over the river itself.

Q. Where does the moon rise and set in Charlottetown, and how high does it climb?

At about 46.2°N, Charlottetown's moonrise and moonset points swing widely across the horizon each month, from roughly northeast to southeast for rising and northwest to southwest for setting, with an even wider swing in years near a major lunar standstill. A full moon near the winter solstice rises north of east and climbs high in the south, to roughly 67° above the horizon, while a full moon near the summer solstice rises south of east and follows a low southern path, peaking near 20°. Because the downtown waterfront and Victoria Park face south and southwest across the harbour, they give an open view over the water while the moon crosses the southern sky. Tree lines, bridges and Rocky Point across the harbour can still block a low moon, so check the azimuth for your date and exact spot.

Q. Is light pollution a problem for moon observing in Charlottetown?

The moon is bright enough to observe and photograph from almost anywhere in Charlottetown, so light pollution rarely limits the lunar disc itself. It does wash out earthshine on a thin crescent and any faint sky detail. Downtown, Peake's Wharf and the lit boardwalk at Confederation Landing are the brightest spots, while looking south over the harbour from Victoria Park or across from Fort Amherst puts open water in the foreground and keeps most city lights out of frame. As a small city on an island, Charlottetown is surrounded by much darker countryside than larger Canadian cities.

Q. What camera settings and phases work best for moon photography in Charlottetown?

For a full moon, start with Looney 11 (f/11, ISO 100, 1/100 s) and refine using your histogram, since it is a baseline rather than a guarantee. The moon is much brighter than the harbour, streetlights and boardwalk lighting, so shoot RAW and bracket or blend exposures to keep both crater detail and the foreground. In the days before full, the moon rises later each evening until it rises around sunset at full moon, which suits twilight shots while the foreground is still lit. A telephoto lens of 200 mm or longer helps frame the moon tightly against the Prince Edward Battery, the harbour or the Fort Amherst earthworks, with a sturdy tripod for harbour wind and manual focus on the moon's edge using magnified live view. The harbour can give a reflection when the water is calm and lies between you and the moon.

Q. How do coastal fog, wind and winter weather affect moon viewing in Charlottetown?

Coastal fog can form along Prince Edward Island's shoreline, especially in late spring and early summer when cold water meets warmer air, and it can roll in with little warning even on an otherwise clear night. The open waterfront at Victoria Park and Fort Amherst picks up real wind off the harbour, which can shake a tripod and make the air feel much colder than it is. Winters are cold and snowy, with ice possible on boardwalks and harbour ice in the coldest months, so dress for wind chill and wear traction footwear. Check Environment and Climate Change Canada and the marine forecast for fog, wind and cloud before heading out.

Q. What time zone are Charlottetown's moonrise and moonset times shown in?

Charlottetown runs on Atlantic Time: Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, in winter and Atlantic Daylight Time, UTC−3, in summer. Prince Edward Island still changes its clocks twice a year, moving forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, and moonrise and moonset times on this page follow the local clock in effect on each date.

Q. Can I shoot the moon at Charlottetown's viewpoints after dark?

Mostly, yes. Victoria Park is free and widely listed as open 24 hours, though some individual features, such as the floating dock, post their own dawn-to-dusk signage. Confederation Landing Park is open year-round and lit at night, and the Peake's Wharf boardwalk is open public waterfront, though its shops and restaurants keep seasonal hours. Fort Amherst's grounds are open year-round, but its trails are not maintained between mid-October and mid-June. On the Hillsborough Bridge pathway, stay within the barriered lane after dark.

Q. Does this page work for cities besides Charlottetown?

This page is set up specifically for Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. For the moon phase in any other city or location worldwide, use the Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the moonphase.today home page.