Moonrise Tonight
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☽ Lunar Basics
What Is Moonrise — and Why Does the Time Change Every Night?
Moonrise is the moment the upper limb of the Moon appears above the eastern horizon, as Earth's rotation sweeps your location toward the Moon's position in the sky. Because the Moon orbits Earth in the same direction Earth rotates, it rises roughly 50 minutes later each night — slowly drifting behind the Sun's daily schedule until it has made a full lap and the cycle resets after 29.5 days.
Unlike sunrise, which happens within a narrow window year-round, moonrise can occur at any hour of the day or night depending on the phase. A full moon always rises near sunset. A new moon rises with the Sun and is invisible. The quarter moons split the difference — rising at noon or midnight respectively.
Moonrise shifts approximately 50 minutes later each night because the Moon advances about 13° eastward along its orbit daily. At that rate it takes 24 hours and 50 minutes for Earth's rotation to bring the Moon back to the same point in the sky — the same reason ocean tides run 50 minutes late each day.
50 min
Average daily shiftMoonrise moves ~50 minutes later each night due to the Moon's eastward orbital motion
29.5 d
Synodic monthOne complete cycle from new moon back to new moon — when the pattern fully resets
13°
Daily orbital advanceHow far the Moon moves eastward each day, directly causing the 50-minute delay
±30 min
Location varianceYour latitude and the Moon's current declination can shift your local moonrise by up to 30 minutes vs. the average
☀ Affecting Factors
6 Things That Change Your Moonrise Time
Two people 500 km apart can see the Moon rise more than 20 minutes apart on the same night. These are the variables that determine your precise local time.
Your Latitude
Higher latitudes see more dramatic variation in moonrise timing across the month. At the equator the difference is modest; near the poles it can span hours for the same phase.
Moon Phase
Phase is the dominant factor. Full moon — rises at sunset. New moon — rises at sunrise. First quarter rises at noon, third quarter at midnight. Everything else falls between.
Season & Declination
The Moon's orbital tilt means it swings north and south of the celestial equator over 27.3 days. In autumn, the Harvest Moon effect compresses the daily shift to as little as 12 minutes per night.
Local Horizon
Mountains, hills, or buildings to your east delay the observed moonrise by minutes to tens of minutes compared to a flat mathematical horizon.
Longitude Within Time Zone
Time zones can be up to 7.5° wide. A city on the eastern edge of a zone sees the Moon rise up to 30 minutes earlier in clock time than one on the western edge.
Atmospheric Refraction
Earth's atmosphere bends moonlight, making the Moon appear above the horizon about 2 minutes before it geometrically clears it. Humidity and temperature affect this slightly.
☾ Phase Guide
When to See the Moon: Every Phase Explained
Each lunar phase has a predictable rise time, visibility window, and sky brightness. Use this to plan observations, photography, or simply know when to look up.
| Phase | Rises | Sets | Best for | Viewing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌑 New Moon | ~Sunrise | ~Sunset | Stargazing, Milky Way | Not visible |
| 🌒 Waxing Crescent | Mid-morning | Early evening | Earthshine viewing | Good |
| 🌓 First Quarter | ~Noon | ~Midnight | Crater detail, shadow contrast | Best |
| 🌔 Waxing Gibbous | Afternoon | Pre-dawn | Photography, naked eye | Best |
| 🌕 Full Moon | ~Sunset | ~Sunrise | Landscapes, moonlit scenes | Good |
| 🌖 Waning Gibbous | Early evening | Late morning | Late-night viewing | Good |
| 🌗 Last Quarter | ~Midnight | ~Noon | Early morning detail | Best |
| 🌘 Waning Crescent | Pre-dawn | Mid-afternoon | Dawn photography | Faint |
The quarter phases — first and last quarter — offer the best telescope viewing because sunlight strikes the lunar surface at a low angle, throwing craters and mountains into sharp relief. The full moon, despite being brightest, washes out this shadow contrast entirely.
★ Optimal Timing
The Best Time to See the Moon Tonight
Moonrise itself is often the most dramatic moment — the Moon appears largest near the horizon due to the Moon Illusion, and atmospheric haze turns it amber or copper. But the best time depends on what you want from the experience.
Midnight6 AMNoon6 PMMidnight
Moonrise
— Horizon moment
The Moon appears 50% larger near the horizon (the Moon Illusion). Amber and copper tones from atmospheric scattering. Ideal for photography.
1–2 hrs after
— Clarity window
Once the Moon clears 10° altitude, atmospheric distortion drops sharply. Best for naked-eye detail and binoculars. Colours return to natural white-grey.
Highest point
— Transit / culmination
When the Moon crosses your meridian it reaches peak altitude. Least atmosphere to look through. Sharpest views for telescopes and astrophotography.
⚙ Methodology
How Moonrise Time Is Calculated
Moonrise predictions are astronomy, not guesswork. This tool uses the same foundational algorithms trusted by observatories and navigation systems worldwide.
01
SunCalc Astronomical Library
Position calculations use the open-source SunCalc library, implementing Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms — the standard reference for high-precision solar and lunar ephemeris calculations accurate to within seconds.
02
Your GPS Coordinates
Moonrise time is computed for your exact latitude and longitude, not a city centre approximation. This accounts for your position within your time zone and corrects for local meridian offset.
03
Real-Time Updates
Altitude, azimuth, illumination and distance are computed live in your browser, updating continuously. No server round-trips, no cached data — every reading reflects this exact moment in time.
04
Atmospheric Refraction
Rise and set times include a standard 0.833° refraction correction — accounting for how Earth's atmosphere bends light at the horizon, matching what you observe with what the numbers predict.
All calculations run locally in your browser using your device's clock and your entered or detected location. No data is sent to a server. Moonrise times shown are corrected for your local timezone and are accurate to within one minute for locations between 65°S and 65°N latitude.
Scientific Calibration & Data Sources
U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) The primary global source for precise astronomical rise and set data used in celestial navigation and scientific almanacs. NASA JPL Horizons Provides highly accurate ephemerides for solar system bodies, calculating the complex orbital mechanics of the Earth-Moon system.
☽ Frequently Asked
Moonrise Questions
Everything people ask about when, why, and how the Moon rises -- answered directly.
What time does the moon rise tonight?
Moonrise time varies by location and changes every night. Use the live widget at the top of this page to get tonight's exact moonrise time for your city. In general, a full moon rises around sunset, a new moon rises around sunrise, and the quarter moons rise near noon or midnight. The time shifts by roughly 50 minutes later each night as the Moon moves eastward in its orbit.
Why does the moon rise at a different time each night?
The Moon orbits Earth in the same direction Earth rotates, advancing roughly 13 degrees eastward each day. Because of this, Earth has to rotate an extra 50 minutes to "catch up" to the Moon's new position. That lag of approximately 50 minutes per night is why the Moon rises later and later across the month, completing one full cycle every 29.5 days.
Does the moon rise in the east and set in the west?
Yes. Like the Sun and stars, the Moon rises in the east and sets in the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation. The exact point on the horizon where it rises shifts north and south throughout the month depending on the Moon's declination -- its angle above or below the celestial equator. Near the solstices this variation can be significant, especially at higher latitudes.
What is the Harvest Moon and why does it rise so early?
The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. At that time of year the Moon's orbit runs nearly parallel to the horizon, so it rises only 12 to 20 minutes later each night instead of the usual 50. This provides several nights of bright moonlight shortly after sunset -- historically invaluable for farmers harvesting late crops. The effect is most pronounced at higher latitudes where the orbit angle is most shallow.
Why does the moon look bigger when it rises?
This is the Moon Illusion -- a well-documented perceptual phenomenon, not an optical one. The Moon is actually the same angular size at the horizon as at its peak. Photographs confirm it. The brain interprets the Moon as larger near the horizon because familiar reference points like trees and buildings trigger depth-perception cues that make distant objects appear bigger. The amber or orange colour at rising is real, however -- caused by light passing through more atmosphere at a low angle.
What is a supermoon and does it affect moonrise?
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon being near perigee -- its closest point to Earth. The Moon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee. It does not meaningfully change the moonrise time itself, but the earlier-rising supermoon creates a more dramatic horizon event because of its increased size and brightness. The term "supermoon" has no official astronomical definition; most astronomers use "perigee full moon."
How accurate are moonrise time predictions?
Moonrise predictions based on established astronomical algorithms are accurate to within one minute for most locations between 65 degrees south and 65 degrees north latitude. The main source of real-world discrepancy is your local horizon -- hills, buildings, or mountains to your east will delay the observed rise beyond the mathematical prediction. Atmospheric conditions such as humidity and temperature also introduce a small variable through refraction, typically less than two minutes.
Can the moon rise twice in one day?
In rare cases, yes. At high latitudes -- above roughly 60 degrees north or south -- the Moon's declination can cause it to briefly dip below and then re-appear above the horizon within a single calendar day, producing two moonrises. More commonly, the Moon simply fails to rise on a given calendar day when the 50-minute daily shift pushes the rise time past midnight into the next day. This most often happens with the last quarter moon phase.
☽ Go Deeper
Explore the Lunar Cycle
Go beyond tonight's moonrise with our deep lunar resources.
Birth Moon Phase
How did the moon look on the day you were born? Reveal your birth moon phase and discover its unique influence on your personality.
Calculate Your Moon →World Moon Guide
Access precise moonrise data, weather forecasts, and photography tips for over 100 cities around the globe.
Find Your City →The Lunar 100
Master the geography of the moon. A complete checklist and guide to the 100 most famous features on the lunar surface.
Start Observing →