Moon Phase Today Plano

Moon Phase Today Plano: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Plano is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 29.0 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
29.0d
Next Full Moon
Oct 25
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:32 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:29 PM

full-moon-over-plano-texas

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Plano, TX

Plano sits deep in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro, so it doesn't have a coastline, a skyline dome, or a nearby mountain range to frame the moon against — what it has instead is a network of large city parks and preserves, plus one lively rooftop scene around Legacy West. There's no getting away from the metro's light dome entirely, but a few spots further from the retail corridors get you noticeably darker skies than downtown. As always, the moon's exact rise direction shifts through its cycle, so it's worth checking that against whichever park or patio you're planning around. Here are six of the area's strongest viewpoints.

1

Haywire Rooftop (Legacy West)

A three-floor Texas-style restaurant in the heart of Legacy West, with a third-floor rooftop patio, fireplace, and even a parked Airstream trailer for drinks under the sky. Restaurant hours: Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Haywire also runs rooftop cigar pairings from time to time — check current hours and events before heading over. Address: 5901 Winthrop St, Suite K110.

2

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve (West Plano)

200 acres of prairie, forest, and creek habitat on Plano's western edge, with a two-level observation tower rising above the treetops for a clear, open view of the sky. Free, no reservation needed. Open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., with Wednesday opening later at 2 p.m. Address: 6701 W. Parker Rd.

3

Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve (East Plano)

Plano's largest park at 800 acres, with a pond, a raised boardwalk over Rowlett Creek, and long paved trails that put real distance between you and any parking lot glow. Free, no reservation needed. The park itself is generally open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., but the nature trails specifically are officially sunrise to sunset — plan a boardwalk walk around dusk rather than well after dark. Address: 5901 Los Rios Blvd.

4

Haggard Park (Historic Downtown)

A tree-lined park in Plano's original downtown, with a white gazebo, a small pond, and the Interurban Railway Museum on-site — the closest thing Plano has to an old-town square. Free to visit; city parks in Plano are commonly listed as open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., but check current hours and any event closures before a late-night visit. Address: 901 E. 15th St.

5

Bob Woodruff Park (Central Plano)

A quieter neighborhood park built around a large pond, with a paved loop trail circling the water — one of the few in-town spots where you can frame the moon over open water. Free to visit; commonly listed as open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., but check current hours before a late-night visit. Address: 2601 San Gabriel Dr.

6

Windhaven Meadows Park (West Plano)

A 123-acre park built around a string of ponds, with 1.9 miles of paved trail connecting into the wider Legacy Trail network — a calmer, less-visited alternative to Oak Point or Bob Woodruff on the city's west side. Free, no reservation needed. Commonly listed as open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., but check current hours before a late-night visit. Address: 5400 Windhaven Pkwy.

◉ 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 earlier each evening as full approaches, sometimes coinciding with golden or blue hour, though the exact timing varies with the date and season
🧭 Landmark alignments — the moon's rising azimuth changes from date to date as its position in orbit changes, so check the exact date and viewpoint rather than assuming a direction

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯Use a sturdy tripod — most outdoor spots on this list allow them, but check with staff before setting one up on Haywire's rooftop
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding city glow or a pond's surface reflection
📏Looney 11 rule — a solid starting point: f/11, ISO 100, 1/100s for a full moon, then adjust from your histogram
🌕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 size, so a camera won't reproduce it the same way your eyes do at a fixed focal length
⛈️Check the radar, not just the forecast — North Texas gets fast-building spring and early-summer thunderstorms that can turn severe with little warning, plus hazy, humid summer evenings that can soften the moon's edge
🕐 Timezone

Plano runs on Central Time — CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, since Texas observes daylight saving time. PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots automatically.

Enjoy the moon over Plano — an Airstream and a fireplace on a Legacy West rooftop, a boardwalk over Rowlett Creek, and a quiet pond-side trail away from the crowds, all sharing the same lunar glow.

The moon phase today in Plano 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 on Haywire's rooftop, the evening usually starts with the fireplace already lit and a small line for photos by the Airstream. The moon tends to clear Legacy West's low rooflines quickly — there's nothing tall enough nearby to block it — and for a while it shares the sky with string lights and the glow of the shops below before it climbs high enough to stand on its own.

Out on the Oak Point boardwalk, the mood changes fast. The parking-lot noise fades as you move farther in, you may still spot herons or turtles along Rowlett Creek at dusk, and the trees lining the boardwalk can cut down some of the direct horizon glow that follows you almost everywhere else in the city.

Over at Windhaven Meadows, it's a smaller, quieter version of the same idea. It doesn't draw the crowds that Oak Point or Arbor Hills do, so an evening walk along its pond-side trail tends to be genuinely calm rather than dramatically dark — it's not a getaway from the metro's light dome so much as a break from its noise and its crowds.

"Windhaven Meadows doesn't draw the crowds that Oak Point or Arbor Hills do, so an evening walk along its pond-side trail tends to be genuinely calm — less a getaway from the metro's light dome than a break from its noise and its crowds."

✓ Your Plano Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moonrise time and rise azimuth for your date — alignment with a specific pond, boardwalk, or rooftop view depends on the date, not just the location
  • Check both the moon's rise time and the venue's closing time — most city parks on this list are commonly listed as closing around 11 p.m., but Oak Point's nature trails specifically close at sunset, well before that
  • Verify Site Access: Haywire's rooftop schedule and any rooftop events shift with the season and staffing — check current hours before heading over
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the radar for spring and early-summer severe weather, not just rain chances — North Texas thunderstorms can turn severe with little warning
  • Confirm whether your chosen venue allows tripods, particularly on a restaurant rooftop where space and seating rules vary

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens — 200mm or longer is a useful starting point; shooting from farther away makes the moon appear larger relative to a distant landmark like Arbor Hills' tower or the Legacy West skyline
  • Water and bug spray — the creeks and ponds at Oak Point and Bob Woodruff draw mosquitoes, especially at dusk in warmer months
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots, where tripods are permitted
  • A flashlight or headlamp for the walk back from Arbor Hills' or Oak Point's trails after dark
  • A payment method for dinner or drinks at Haywire, since the parks on this list are free

On the Night

  • Arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, especially at Haywire around full moons and weekend events
  • Focus manually on the moon's edge — rooftop string lights and parking-lot glow can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker pond, creek, or treeline 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
  • At Arbor Hills, Oak Point, Bob Woodruff, or Windhaven Meadows, plan to be back at the parking area before closing, and don't count on staying past posted hours
The moon over Plano moves between two very different scenes — the lit-up patios and rooftops of Legacy West, and the quieter ponds, boardwalks, and campsites spread across the city's parks. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a Plano moonrise for yourself.

? Plano Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Plano?

The moon phase today in Plano is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 25. Moonrise is at 6:32 AM and moonset at 6:29 PM.

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

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is the standout spot, 200 acres of prairie, forest, and creek habitat with a two-level observation tower rising above the treetops. Haywire Rooftop at Legacy West offers a lively rooftop patio scene with a fireplace and a parked Airstream, Oak Point Park is Plano's largest at 800 acres with a boardwalk over Rowlett Creek, and Haggard Park, Bob Woodruff Park, or Windhaven Meadows Park add further historic-downtown, pond-side, or calmer-alternative options.

Q. Do these viewing spots stay open after dark?

Most do, at least in part — Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. (with Wednesday opening later at 2 p.m.), and Haggard Park, Bob Woodruff Park, and Windhaven Meadows Park are all commonly listed with the same 5 a.m.–11 p.m. hours, though it's worth checking current hours and event closures. Oak Point Park's general grounds follow that same window, but its nature trails specifically are officially sunrise to sunset, so a boardwalk walk is best planned around dusk rather than well after dark. Haywire Rooftop's restaurant hours vary by day, running latest on Friday and Saturday.

Q. Does Plano observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Plano runs on Central Time — CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, since Texas observes daylight saving time on the standard U.S. schedule.

Q. What's the best time of year for moon photography in Plano?

The moon's exact rise direction shifts through its cycle rather than following a fixed seasonal pattern, so it's worth checking that against whichever park or patio you're planning around. Plano has no coastline, skyline dome, or mountain range to frame the moon against, so its network of large city parks and preserves does the work instead — and while there's no getting away from the metro's light dome entirely, a few spots further from the retail corridors get noticeably darker skies than downtown.

Q. Does this page work for cities besides Plano?

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