Moon Phase Today St. John's

Moon Phase Today St. John's: New Moon

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, the moon in St. John's is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 0.4 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
0.4d
Next Full Moon
Oct 26
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
7:17 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:06 PM

moon-phase-today-st.johns-newfoundland

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in St. John's, NL

St. John's sits on a hilly harbour on the Avalon Peninsula, close enough to the easternmost edge of North America that the city has genuinely dramatic clifftop viewpoints most places simply don't have. 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. St. John's is also famously foggy — conditions here can shift fast, so treat any clear-sky plan as provisional. Here are six locations that offer different ways to experience or photograph the moon.

1

Signal Hill National Historic Site

A hill overlooking the Narrows and St. John's harbour, topped by Cabot Tower — built between 1897 and 1900. Signal Hill is also where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. The grounds and outdoor observation areas are free and accessible year-round; the visitor centre and Cabot Tower keep seasonal hours (June 1–October 9, 2026: visitor centre 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily, with access to Cabot Tower itself closing at 5:30 p.m.) — check current hours before planning an evening visit specifically for the tower interior. Address: 230 Signal Hill Rd.

2

Cape Spear National Historic Site

The most easterly point of land on the island of Newfoundland, about a 20-minute drive from downtown, with dramatic cliffs, Newfoundland's oldest surviving lighthouse (built 1835), and WWII gun emplacements. Parks Canada confirms the grounds and coastal trails are free and open year-round; the lighthouse and interpretation centre keep seasonal hours (June 1–October 9, 2026, daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m.). Coastal conditions here can be hazardous — stay well back from the rocks near the surf line and away from posted barricades. Address: 1914–1930 Black Head Rd.

3

Quidi Vidi Village & Lake

A small historic fishing village tucked into a rocky harbour just beyond Signal Hill, with the Quidi Vidi Brewery and a walking trail circling the lake as part of the Grand Concourse trail network (exact distances vary by source, so treat specific figures with some caution). A connecting trail links the lake area to Signal Hill, making it possible to combine both in one evening. As an open village and public trail, there's no single gated closing time, though individual businesses like the brewery keep their own hours. Near The Boulevard & Forest Rd.

4

Downtown Harbourfront & Jellybean Row

The candy-coloured row houses along Gower Street and the surrounding lanes are one of the city's signature images, a short walk from the working harbour on Water Street. Open public streets and sidewalks rather than a gated park; individual shops, pubs, and restaurants (including the George Street entertainment district nearby) keep their own hours. Centered near Gower St & Cochrane St.

5

Bowring Park

An English-style park donated to the city in 1911 and officially opened in 1914, now covering more than 200 acres (81 hectares) in the Waterford Valley, with a duck pond, walking trails, and statues including a caribou memorial and "The Fighting Newfoundlander." Specific gate hours weren't confirmed for this listing; check current signage. Address: opposite 375 Waterford Bridge Rd.

6

The Battery & North Head Trail

A cluster of colourful houses clinging to the cliffs at the entrance to St. John's harbour, with the North Head Trail linking Signal Hill to Cabot Tower along the coast. Parks Canada rates this trail difficult: it runs about 1.7 kilometres one-way, with narrow sections directly beside steep drops, and warns of hazards from wet weather, fog, and strong wind. Not a casual stroll, and not recommended after dark or in poor visibility. Near Lower Battery Rd.

◉ 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 and weight it down — clifftop spots like Signal Hill and Cape Spear catch strong, gusty Atlantic wind
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding harbour, cliffs, or ocean landscape
📏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
🌫️Check the forecast closely — St. John's is notably foggy and windy, and fog here can move in quickly and obscure a view that looked clear just a short time earlier
🕐 Timezone

St. John's runs on Newfoundland Time — NST (UTC−3:30) in winter and NDT (UTC−2:30) in summer, a distinctive half-hour offset. Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's — a Marconi-era tower, the easternmost cliffs in North America, and a colourful harbourside village all sharing the same lunar glow.

The moon phase today in St. John's 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 Signal Hill, wind is often part of the experience — the exposed grounds around Cabot Tower tend to catch a breeze off the harbour even on a relatively calm evening. The view takes in the Narrows and downtown below.

Out at Cape Spear, the mood is starker and more remote — the lighthouse silhouette, the old WWII gun emplacements, and open Atlantic stretching toward the horizon. It's a place people usually associate with sunrise, so an evening visit for moonrise can feel like seeing a familiar spot from an entirely different angle.

Down at Quidi Vidi, the pace slows considerably — the brewery's deck drawing locals and visitors, the working harbour a reminder that this is still a fishing village first. Combining it with a walk toward Signal Hill makes for a full evening rather than a single stop.

"Out at Cape Spear, the mood is starker and more remote — the lighthouse silhouette, the old WWII gun emplacements, and open Atlantic stretching toward the horizon."

✓ Your St. John's 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
  • Check the forecast closely, including fog and wind — St. John's weather is famously changeable, and a clear afternoon doesn't guarantee a clear evening
  • Verify Site Access: access to Cabot Tower closes at 5:30 p.m. during the 2026 season (June 1–Oct 9), and Cape Spear's lighthouse/interpretation centre keeps the same seasonal window — the outdoor grounds at both sites are the more reliable year-round option
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • At Cape Spear specifically, check conditions and stay well back from the rocks near the surf line — coastal conditions here can turn hazardous quickly
  • Confirm current rules on tripods and photography at your chosen site, especially National Historic Sites

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens, often 200mm or longer, can help frame the moon tightly against the lighthouse, tower, or harbour
  • A genuinely warm, windproof layer — exposed clifftop sites can feel colder and windier than sheltered areas downtown, in any season
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots
  • A flashlight or headlamp for the North Head Trail or any coastal path after dark
  • Sturdy, grippy footwear for Cape Spear and the North Head Trail — the rock can be wet and slick even without rain

On the Night

  • As a general recommendation, arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, since fog or cloud can move in with little warning
  • Consider manual focus if autofocus struggles in low light — lighthouse beams and tower lighting can sometimes confuse it at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker cliffs, harbour, or ocean 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 — though in St. John's, persistent fog may not clear at all
  • Stick to marked trails and stay back from cliff edges, especially at Cape Spear and the North Head Trail after dark
The moon over St. John's moves between two very different stages — the exposed, historic drama of its clifftop national historic sites, and the quieter, close-knit charm of a village like Quidi Vidi. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a St. John's moonrise for yourself.

? St. John's Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in St. John's?

The moon phase today in St. John's is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 16 days, on Oct 26. Moonrise is at 7:17 AM and moonset at 6:06 PM.

Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in St. John's?

Signal Hill National Historic Site is the standout spot, overlooking the Narrows and the harbour from beside historic Cabot Tower. Cape Spear National Historic Site offers dramatic cliffs at the most easterly point of land on the island, Quidi Vidi Village and Lake gives a slower-paced historic fishing village connected to Signal Hill by trail, and Downtown Harbourfront's Jellybean Row, Bowring Park, or The Battery and North Head Trail add further colourful-streetscape, English-park, or cliffside alternatives.

Q. Do these viewing spots stay open after dark?

It varies — Signal Hill's grounds and outdoor observation areas are free and accessible year-round, though the visitor centre and Cabot Tower interior keep seasonal hours with tower access closing at 5:30 p.m. Cape Spear's grounds and coastal trails are similarly free and open year-round, with the lighthouse and interpretation centre on seasonal hours. Quidi Vidi Village has no single gated closing time as an open village and public trail, and Bowring Park's specific gate hours weren't confirmed, so check current signage. The Battery's North Head Trail is rated difficult by Parks Canada and isn't recommended after dark or in poor visibility.

Q. Does St. John's observe daylight saving time?

Yes. St. John's runs on Newfoundland Time — NST (UTC−3:30) in winter and NDT (UTC−2:30) in summer, a distinctive half-hour offset, since Newfoundland and Labrador observes daylight saving time.

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

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 actually unobstructed. St. John's is also famously foggy, and conditions here can shift fast, so it's worth treating any clear-sky plan as provisional rather than fixed.

Q. Does this page work for cities besides St. John's?

This page is set up specifically for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For the moon phase in any other city or location worldwide, use the Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the moonphase.today home page.