Moon Phase Today Hamilton

Moon Phase Today Hamilton: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Hamilton 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
6:25 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:13 PM

moon-over-hamilton-on-skyline

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is split by the Niagara Escarpment — locally called "the Mountain" — giving it genuine elevation most Greater Toronto Area cities don't have, alongside a working harbour on Lake Ontario. The date and your observing location together determine the moon's rise time and direction; your viewpoint determines how much of that horizon is actually unobstructed. Several of Hamilton's famous escarpment waterfalls are conservation areas that close at sunset, so these three urban and waterfront locations offer alternatives for evening viewing, subject to current site conditions and posted restrictions.

1

Sam Lawrence Park

A 7.5-hectare park atop the escarpment brow at the top of the Jolley Cut, with panoramic views over the lower city and Hamilton Harbour. The City's own 2019–2020 master plan documents note that the park's existing lighting has degraded from years of weathering, with a new lighting strategy proposed as a future improvement rather than something already in place — check current conditions before an evening visit. Address: Concession Street at the Jolley Cut.

2

Bayfront Park & the Waterfront Trail

A 40-acre harbourfront park with expansive lawns, shoreline access, a boat launch, and paved trails connecting to Pier 4 Park and the Hamilton Harbour Waterfront Trail. The park's small beach has been closed to swimming since 2016 due to persistent water-quality problems, so it's a shoreline and trail destination rather than a beach one. The Waterfront Trail includes pathway lighting; check current conditions and any temporary restrictions before an evening visit. Address: 200 Harbour Front Dr.

3

Downtown Hamilton & Gore Park

The historic civic core along King and James Streets, centred on Gore Park, with restaurants, bars, and the James Street North arts district. A convenient urban option if you'd rather stay downtown instead of driving up the Mountain or out to the harbour after dark.

◉ 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
🧭 Landmark alignments — the moon generally rises somewhere along the eastern half of the horizon, but its exact rising azimuth shifts substantially with the date and your latitude, so check the exact date and viewpoint rather than assuming it will rise due east

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯Use a sturdy tripod, particularly up on the escarpment brow at Sam Lawrence Park, where wind can pick up
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding city lights, harbour, or garden landscape
📏Looney 11 rule — a traditional 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 make the moon physically larger; it lets you tightly frame a distant moon together with a distant foreground object, which is how those striking "giant moon over the skyline" photos are made
❄️Check the forecast for cloud, visibility and wind — conditions can differ between the escarpment and lower city
🕐 Timezone

Hamilton runs on Eastern Time — EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) in summer, following Ontario's daylight-saving schedule. PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots automatically, as long as your device's clock is correct.

Enjoy the moon over Hamilton — an elevated escarpment brow looking down over the lower city, a working harbour with a waterfront trail that includes pathway lighting, and a historic downtown core built for evening walking.

The moon phase today in Hamilton 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

Up at Sam Lawrence Park, the pull is simply the height — the lower city spread out below the escarpment brow, harbour lights scattered in the distance, and a dramatically different vantage point from the flat urban landscapes common across much of the GTA.

Down at Bayfront Park, the mood shifts to something calmer and closer to the water — the harbour, shoreline, and open sky, with the waterfront trail running along the shoreline offering a much wider view of the sky than the escarpment lookout does.

Around Gore Park downtown, restaurants and the James Street North arts scene give the area a distinctly urban evening atmosphere, a contrast to either the Mountain or the harbour.

"Up at Sam Lawrence Park, the pull is simply the height — the lower city spread out below the escarpment brow, a dramatically different vantage point from the flat urban landscapes common across much of the GTA."

✓ Your Hamilton Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moonrise time and rise azimuth for your date — the date and your observing location together determine the moon's rise time and direction, while your viewpoint determines how much of that horizon is unobstructed
  • Verify Site Access: Devil's Punchbowl and other Hamilton Conservation Authority conservation areas close at sunset, so they aren't evening options after the posted closing time — check current access conditions at Sam Lawrence Park and Bayfront Park too, since the absence of a posted closing time doesn't mean unrestricted overnight access
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the forecast for wind, cloud, and visibility, particularly near the harbour and on the escarpment
  • Confirm current rules on tripods and photography at your chosen venue, especially for anything beyond personal use

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens can help frame the moon tightly against the lower-city skyline from Sam Lawrence Park or the marina masts at Bayfront Park; longer focal lengths give you a tighter composition
  • A windproof layer for the exposed escarpment brow, especially in colder months
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots
  • Spare batteries, particularly for long sessions or extended time outdoors
  • A flashlight or headlamp for darker stretches, even though the Waterfront Trail includes pathway lighting in sections

On the Night

  • As a general recommendation, arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, especially downtown on a weekend evening
  • Focus manually on the moon's surface detail or terminator (the light/dark boundary) — trail and streetlight lighting can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker city, harbour, or garden below
  • If the moon looks soft or hazy right at moonrise, consider waiting until it climbs higher above the horizon, when atmospheric effects are often less pronounced
  • Check current access conditions before leaving, and don't assume that the absence of a posted closing time means unrestricted overnight access
The moon over Hamilton moves between two very different stages — the elevated, lit brow of the escarpment looking down over the whole lower city, and the calm, open water of a working harbour below it. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a Hamilton moonrise for yourself.

? Hamilton Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Hamilton?

The moon phase today in Hamilton is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 26. Moonrise is at 6:25 AM and moonset at 6:13 PM.

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

Sam Lawrence Park, a 7.5-hectare park atop the Niagara Escarpment brow at the top of the Jolley Cut, has panoramic views over the lower city and Hamilton Harbour and is the elevated option. Bayfront Park, a 40-acre harbourfront park with lawns, shoreline access and paved trails linking to Pier 4 Park and the Waterfront Trail, gives a much wider view of the sky at water level. Downtown Hamilton and Gore Park, the historic civic core along King and James Streets with the James Street North arts district, is a convenient urban option if you would rather stay downtown.

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

At about 43°N, Hamilton's moon rises and sets roughly 35–40° either side of due east and west over each month, depending on its declination. A winter full moon climbs high, to roughly 70–75° above the southern horizon, while a summer full moon stays low, peaking at about 20°. Sam Lawrence Park looks north over the lower city and harbour, so the moon is mostly behind or beside you there and only appears in the northeastern or northwestern sky around rising and setting, with the far-northerly winter full moon the likeliest to line up with the skyline. Check the moon's rise azimuth for your date and viewpoint before assuming it will rise where you expect.

Q. What camera settings work best for moon photography in Hamilton?

For a bright full moon, start with the Looney 11 rule (f/11, ISO 100, 1/100 s) and adjust from your histogram. The moon is much brighter than the surrounding city lights, harbour or garden landscape, so shoot RAW and bracket exposures to keep both the lunar disc and the darker foreground. Low on the horizon the moon can look strikingly large, but that is the moon illusion, a perceptual effect rather than a change in angular size, and a telephoto lens lets you tightly frame a distant moon together with a distant foreground object such as the lower-city skyline or the marina masts at Bayfront Park. Use a sturdy tripod, particularly on the escarpment brow at Sam Lawrence Park where wind can pick up.

Q. How does the escarpment affect weather and moon viewing in Hamilton?

Conditions can differ between the escarpment and the lower city, so check the forecast for cloud, visibility and wind, particularly near the harbour and on the escarpment brow. A windproof layer is worth carrying for the exposed brow, especially in colder months, and spare batteries help on long sessions outdoors.

Q. Can I photograph the moon in Hamilton's parks after dark?

Access varies by site, and the absence of a posted closing time does not mean unrestricted overnight access. Devil's Punchbowl and other Hamilton Conservation Authority conservation areas close at sunset, so they are not evening options after the posted closing time. Sam Lawrence Park's existing lighting has degraded from years of weathering, with a new lighting strategy proposed as a future improvement rather than already in place. Bayfront Park's small beach has been closed to swimming since 2016, and its Waterfront Trail includes pathway lighting in sections, so check current conditions and any temporary restrictions before an evening visit. Confirm tripod and photography rules at your chosen venue.

Q. What time zone is Hamilton in, and does it observe daylight saving time?

Hamilton runs on Eastern Time, EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) in summer, following Ontario's daylight-saving schedule, so moonrise and moonset clock times shift by an hour at each change. Planning apps such as PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots, as long as your device's clock is correct.