Moon Phase Today Leeds

Moon Phase Today Leeds: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Leeds 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
5:59 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
5:47 PM

moon-phase-today-leeds

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Leeds, UK

Leeds sits on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, with a low city centre and higher ground rising toward Wharfedale and the Yorkshire Dales to the north-west. Big parks, wooded ridges and country estates give you broad horizons close to town and genuinely dark skies a short drive away.

Roundhay Park – 700 Acres – One of Europe's Biggest City Parks

Over 700 acres of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens owned by Leeds City Council. Waterloo Lake and Upper Lake give broad, open horizons for moonrise over water. Green Flag Award holder and one of the biggest city parks in Europe.

Otley Chevin Forest Park – Ridge 280m – Elevated Views

Wooded ridge on the south side of Wharfedale overlooking Otley. A mix of old woodland, heathland and rocky crags covering about 180 hectares, with a north-facing cliff rising to 280m. Not an official dark sky site, but excellent conditions for stars and planets. Free car park near The Royalty pub. Green Flag 2026.

Temple Newsam Estate – Over 1,500 Acres – Capability Brown

Semi-rural estate with over 1,500 acres of parkland once landscaped by Capability Brown, plus a Grade I listed Tudor-Jacobean mansion. Open fields to the south give an unobstructed southern horizon — ideal for full moonrise. Estate open daylight hours; check road times.

Golden Acre Park – 137 Acres – Adel & Bramhope

Wooded park on the A660 Otley Road between Adel and Bramhope. About 137 acres with a wildfowl lake and Breary Marsh Nature Reserve. Originally a private amusement park from 1932, taken over by the Council in 1945. Sheltered water for moon reflections and darker than the centre due to its Wharfedale fringe location. Green Flag 2026.

Middleton Park – 630 Acres – 200 Acres Ancient Woodland

Nearly a square mile of parkland — 630 acres — of which 200 acres is ancient woodland, one of the largest in Leeds. Owned by Wade's Charity and leased to the Council since 1919. Bowl-shaped pits remain from 1660s coal mining. Open grassland with lower light pollution to the west. Green Flag 2026.

Yorkshire Dales Dark Sky Reserve – 30 Min North-West

Designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2020 for its minimal light pollution. On a clear night you can see up to 2,000 stars and the Milky Way clearly. Not in the Leeds borough but a short drive for new-moon work — save full moon for city parks where you want abbey ruins and lake reflections.

◉ Best Times for Moon Photography in Leeds

🌕 Full Moon: moonrise near sunset, moonset near sunrise — azimuth shifts between south-facing Temple Newsam and west-facing Chevin
🌔 Waxing gibbous — best for blue-hour over Roundhay's lakes and Temple Newsam House while foreground is still lit
🌑 New Moon — best for stars at Chevin's 280m ridge and the Dales Dark Sky Reserve; full Moon best for illuminated Kirkstall Abbey

📷 Quick Photography Tips for Leeds

🎯 Use sturdy tripod — Roundhay's lakes are windy and Chevin's ridge is exposed
📷 Shoot RAW and expose separately — abbey stone, ancient woodland and park lakes are much darker than the disc
📏 Looney 11 as starting point: f/11, ISO 100, 1/100s for bright full Moon — check histogram
🌕 For Moon-and-landmark, increase distance and use longer focal length — Kirkstall Abbey ruins and Temple Newsam House
🌃 Manual focus on Moon's edge — more reliable than autofocus at Chevin's elevated viewpoints
🌧 Check Met Office for West Yorkshire — Wharfedale mist and Chevin woodland shade change fast

🕐 Timezone
Leeds runs on GMT (UTC+0) in winter and BST (UTC+1) in summer.

📍 Geography Note
Light & Area: The City of Leeds metropolitan borough covers 551.72 km². The centre has significant light pollution, while the north-west fringe toward Wharfedale is noticeably darker — which is why Golden Acre and Chevin feel darker than Roundhay or Middleton.

Elevation & Horizons: Most parks are low and open — Roundhay and Temple Newsam give broad southern horizons over lakes and fields. The exception is Otley Chevin, a wooded escarpment on the south side of Wharfedale with a north-facing cliff rising to 280m and fabulous views over the Wharfe Valley. That elevation gives a clear view of the night sky even though it's not an official dark sky site.

Dark Sky Nearby: Yorkshire Dales National Park became an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2020. Minimal light pollution means up to 2,000 stars and the Milky Way can be visible — about 30 minutes north-west of Leeds. Use it for new-moon work; full moon is better back in the city for reflections and ruins.

Access: Seven Green Flag parks for 2026: Golden Acre Park, Kirkstall Abbey, Middleton Park, Otley Chevin Forest Park, Pudsey Park, Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam Estate. All managed by Leeds City Council. Green Flag means clean and well-maintained, not 24h access — check current hours for Temple Newsam estate roads, Kirkstall Abbey visitor centre and Chevin car park near The Royalty pub.

Leeds works because you have big, low city parks for open water and abbey foregrounds, plus a high wooded ridge on the edge of Wharfedale for elevation. Use Roundhay and Temple Newsam for broad southern horizons, Golden Acre and Middleton for woodland and darker fringes, Chevin at 280m for elevated valley views, and the Dales Dark Sky Reserve 30 minutes away when you want truly dark skies.

The moon phase today in Leeds is shown above. For the moon phase today anywhere else, visit the calculator.

◐ What the Experience Actually Feels Like

At Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam, Leeds feels open — 700 acres of lakes and parkland and over 1,500 acres of Capability Brown estate with broad southern horizons for moonrise over Waterloo Lake.

At Otley Chevin and Golden Acre, it feels elevated and wooded — a 280m ridge of old woodland and heathland above Wharfedale with clear views of the night sky, and 137 acres of sheltered lake below that holds moon reflections.

At Kirkstall Abbey and Middleton Park, it feels historic — Cistercian ruins and 200 acres of ancient woodland with mining pits from the 1660s. And in the Dales Dark Sky Reserve, it feels truly dark — up to 2,000 stars and the Milky Way, 30 minutes from the city.

"Big city lakes, a wooded ridge at 280m over Wharfedale, 1,500 acres of estate parkland, and a Dark Sky Reserve 30 minutes away."

✓ Your Leeds Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check moonrise azimuth — south for Temple Newsam, west for Chevin, over water for Roundhay
  • Verify access — Roundhay, Chevin car park near The Royalty, Temple Newsam estate roads, Kirkstall Abbey visitor centre, Middleton Park
  • Check Met Office for Wharfedale mist — Chevin woodland shade and Dales weather change fast

What to Bring

  • Telephoto 200mm+ for tight Moon, wide for lakes and abbey ruins
  • Remote shutter or 2-second timer, red torch for Chevin's elevated viewpoints
  • Lens cloth for valley mist and woodland dew
  • Warm layer — Chevin ridge exposed at 280m, Dales higher again

On the Night

  • Manual focus on Moon's edge — more reliable at elevated spots
  • Bracket exposures — one for bright disc, one for darker parkland and abbey stone
  • Stay on designated paths — Chevin heathland and Temple Newsam farmland are sensitive
  • Green Flag does not guarantee night access — check current listings; Dales reserve is for new-moon, city parks for full-moon
Start low at Roundhay and Temple Newsam for broad horizons, use Golden Acre and Middleton for woodland edges, go high to Chevin's 280m ridge for valley views, and save the Dales Dark Sky Reserve for new-moon stargazing.

? Leeds Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Leeds?

The moon phase today in Leeds is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 26. Moonrise is at 5:59 AM and moonset at 5:47 PM.

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

Roundhay Park, over 700 acres of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens and one of the biggest city parks in Europe, has Waterloo Lake and Upper Lake, which give broad, open horizons for moonrise over water. Temple Newsam Estate, with over 1,500 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown, has open fields to the south and an unobstructed southern horizon. On the north-west fringe toward Wharfedale, Golden Acre Park, about 137 acres with a wildfowl lake, offers sheltered water for moon reflections and darker skies than the centre, and Middleton Park, 630 acres including 200 acres of ancient woodland, has open grassland with lower light pollution to the west. For elevation, Otley Chevin Forest Park is a wooded ridge rising to 280 m above Wharfedale.

Q. Is there a dark-sky area near Leeds?

Yes. The Yorkshire Dales National Park became an International Dark Sky Reserve in December 2020, one of the UK's seven, and its darkest core areas include upper Wharfedale. Leeds lies outside the reserve, so you need to drive north-west into the Dales, allowing roughly an hour or more, and skies get darker the further north you go. The reserve is best for new-moon stargazing, while a bright full moon is better photographed from the city parks, where lakes and landmarks give you a foreground. Closer to home, Otley Chevin's 280 m ridge gives a clearer view of the night sky than the city centre, though it is not an official dark-sky site.

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

At about 53.8°N, Leeds' 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 climbs to roughly 60° in the south, while a full moon near the summer solstice stays very low, peaking near 13°, so it barely clears the southern horizon and needs a clear view south. The open fields south of Temple Newsam House give an unobstructed southern horizon. Otley Chevin's cliff faces north over Wharfedale, away from where the moon rises and sets, so use it for elevation and darker skies rather than assuming the moon will appear in view. Check the azimuth for your date and exact spot.

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

The moon is bright enough to observe and photograph from almost anywhere in Leeds, so light pollution rarely limits the lunar disc itself. It does wash out earthshine on a thin crescent and any faint sky detail. The city centre has significant light pollution, while the north-west fringe toward Wharfedale is noticeably darker, which is why Golden Acre Park and Otley Chevin feel darker than Roundhay Park or Middleton Park. Chevin's 280 m ridge gives a clear view of the night sky, but none of the city's parks is a dark-sky site.

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

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 abbey stone, ancient woodland and park lakes, so shoot RAW and bracket or blend exposures to keep both crater detail and the foreground. A waxing gibbous is useful for blue hour over Roundhay's lakes and Temple Newsam House while the foreground is still lit. For a moon-and-landmark shot with Kirkstall Abbey or Temple Newsam House, move farther back and use a longer focal length, with a sturdy tripod for the wind at Roundhay's lakes and the exposed Chevin ridge, and focus manually on the moon's edge using magnified live view. Golden Acre's sheltered lake can give a reflection when the water is calm and lies between you and the moon.

Q. How do cloud, mist and cold affect moon viewing in Leeds?

Leeds has a cool, changeable climate with frequent cloud and rain, so clear lunar windows can be short. Mist can gather in Wharfedale, and woodland shade at Chevin can change conditions quickly, while exposed spots such as Chevin's 280 m ridge are colder and windier than the city, so bring a warm layer. In midsummer the nights are short and the sky never gets fully dark, and the full moon stays very low, while winter brings long nights and a much higher full moon. Check Met Office forecasts for West Yorkshire for cloud, mist, wind and visibility before heading out.

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

Leeds runs on Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0, in winter and British Summer Time, UTC+1, in summer. Clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October, and moonrise and moonset times on this page follow the local clock in effect on each date. Leeds lies at about 1.5°W, close to the Greenwich meridian on which GMT is based, so clock times track the sun and moon closely.

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

Mostly, with limits. Several of Leeds' parks, including Roundhay Park, Golden Acre Park, Middleton Park, Otley Chevin Forest Park and Temple Newsam Estate, hold Green Flag awards, but a Green Flag means well maintained, not open at night, so check current hours for each. Temple Newsam Estate is open daylight hours, so check gate and road times before an evening visit, and the Kirkstall Abbey visitor centre and the free car park at Otley Chevin near The Royalty pub keep their own hours. Stay on designated paths, since Chevin's heathland and Temple Newsam's farmland are sensitive.