Moon Phase Today El Paso

Moon Phase Today El Paso: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in El Paso is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 28.9 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
28.9d
Next Full Moon
Oct 25
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:12 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:09 PM

moon-phase-today-el-paso

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in El Paso, TX

El Paso sits in the Chihuahuan Desert at the base of the Franklin Mountains, with the city and the Rio Grande spread out below — the elevated Franklin Mountains and generally dry desert climate provide a very different observing environment from much of Texas. 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. Here are six El Paso locations that offer different ways to experience or photograph the moon.

1

Scenic Drive & Murchison Park

A 1.82-mile road along the southern tip of the Franklin Mountains, reaching 4,222 feet — about 500 feet above the city — with the Murchison Park overlook giving a wide view of both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez across the border. Scenic Drive can be busy around sunset and has periodic vehicle closures, so check current City notices before a late visit.

2

Tom Lea Park (Upper Park)

A more relaxed overlook along Rim Road above El Paso High School, offering elevated views toward downtown without requiring a hike into the Franklin Mountains. Address: 900 Rim Rd.

3

Franklin Mountains State Park

At over 24,000 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the United States, rising to more than 5,000 feet. The park is gated, with visitor access generally ending at 5 p.m. (extending to 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m. on Friday–Sunday from the first Saturday in April through the first Saturday in September) — it therefore suits an early-evening visit rather than an actual moonrise. $5 adult entry fee. Headquarters address: 2900 Tom Mays Access Rd.

4

Ascarate Park

El Paso County's largest public recreational park, over 400 acres built around a 48-acre lake with a lakeside boardwalk — a rare stretch of open water and reflection potential in a desert city. Park hours vary seasonally and extend into the evening; check the current County schedule before planning a late visit. Address: 6900 Delta Dr.

5

Chamizal National Memorial

A National Park Service site commemorating the 1963 Chamizal treaty, which resolved a long-running U.S.–Mexico boundary dispute along the Rio Grande. The park grounds and the Cultural Center (visitor center/museum) keep separate hours, and both have changed over the years — older NPS notices cite grounds hours into the evening, while some current listings show shorter daytime hours — so check the current NPS schedule before visiting. Address: 800 S. San Marcial St.

6

Downtown El Paso & San Jacinto Plaza

The historic downtown core near the Plaza Theatre and San Jacinto Plaza, with restaurants and bars that keep the streets active into the evening — a convenient, well-lit urban option if you'd rather not drive up onto the Rim after dark. Individual businesses keep their own hours.

◉ 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 on the exposed Rim Road overlooks where desert wind can pick up
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding city lights or desert 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 make the moon physically larger or change its angular size relative to the foreground; instead, a long lens lets you tightly frame a distant moon and a distant foreground together, and moving farther from that foreground can make the moon appear larger relative to it in the resulting composition
☀️El Paso's dry desert climate can provide excellent visibility, but wind, dust, and rapidly changing temperatures can still affect conditions after dark
🕐 Timezone

El Paso runs on Mountain Time — MST (UTC−7) in winter and MDT (UTC−6) in summer — the one part of Texas that doesn't follow Central Time, since the rest of the state does. 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 El Paso — a mountain rim overlooking two countries, a desert lake catching the reflection, and a downtown that sits right where three states and two nations meet.

The moon phase today in El Paso 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 Scenic Drive, the view changes dramatically as the sun goes down, with El Paso and Ciudad Juárez spreading across the valley below. The elevated overlook gives the moon a very different setting from the parks down in the city.

Inside Franklin Mountains State Park, the scale is different entirely — real desert wilderness minutes from downtown. The gated hours mean this one works best for an early-evening visit timed around sunset rather than a true late-night moonrise.

Down at Ascarate Park, the mood shifts to something calmer and closer to the water — a striking contrast to the surrounding desert city, with the lake's surface catching whatever light is available.

"Up on Scenic Drive, the view changes dramatically as the sun goes down, with El Paso and Ciudad Juárez spreading across the valley below."

✓ Your El Paso 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: Franklin Mountains State Park's gates close at 5 p.m., and the Wyler Aerial Tramway is currently closed to the public for safety reasons (confirmed on its official TPWD page). Scenic Drive can have periodic vehicle closures, and Ascarate Park's hours vary seasonally — check current City/County/NPS information before planning a late visit
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the forecast for wind on the exposed Rim Road overlooks and for the sharp after-dark temperature drop typical of the desert
  • Confirm current rules on tripods and photography at your chosen venue, especially for anything beyond personal use

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens, often 200mm or longer, can help frame the moon tightly with the El Paso–Juárez skyline from a Rim Road overlook
  • A light layer for after sunset — desert temperatures can drop quickly
  • 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 if your visit extends into the darker portions of Ascarate Park's boardwalk before closing

On the Night

  • As a general recommendation, arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, especially at Murchison Park on weekend evenings
  • Focus manually on the moon's surface detail or terminator (the light/dark boundary) — city lighting can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker mountain, lake, or valley 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
  • Plan to be back at your vehicle before your chosen venue's posted closing time — don't count on staying past it
The moon over El Paso moves between two very different stages — the elevated, two-country panorama of a mountain rim road, and the quiet, lamplit calm of a desert lake below it. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch an El Paso moonrise for yourself.

? El Paso Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in El Paso?

The moon phase today in El Paso is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 25. Moonrise is at 6:12 AM and moonset at 6:09 PM.

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

For elevation, Scenic Drive and the Murchison Park overlook reach 4,222 feet, about 500 feet above the city, with a wide view of both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez across the border. Tom Lea Park along Rim Road is a more relaxed overlook toward downtown without a hike into the Franklin Mountains. Down in the valley, Ascarate Park has a 48-acre lake and boardwalk with reflection potential, Chamizal National Memorial is a Rio Grande-side park commemorating the 1963 boundary treaty, and downtown El Paso and San Jacinto Plaza are a convenient, well-lit urban option. Franklin Mountains State Park is the wilderness choice, though its gates close early.

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

At about 31.8°N, El Paso's moonrise and moonset points swing across the horizon each month, from roughly northeast to southeast for rising and northwest to southwest for setting. A winter full moon climbs very high in the south, to roughly 82° above the horizon and nearly overhead, while a summer full moon stays lower, peaking near 35°. The Franklin Mountains can block parts of the horizon from lower spots in the city, while the elevated overlooks on Scenic Drive and Rim Road look out over the valley with a much wider view. Check the azimuth for your date and exact viewpoint, since your location determines how much of the horizon is unobstructed.

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

The moon is bright enough to observe and photograph from almost anywhere in El Paso, so light pollution rarely limits the lunar disc itself. It does wash out earthshine on a thin crescent and any faint sky detail. The overlooks look out over the lights of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez spreading across the valley, which makes a dramatic backdrop but can also confuse autofocus at dusk, so focus manually on the moon's surface detail or terminator. Franklin Mountains State Park is a real desert wilderness minutes from downtown, though its gates close at 5 p.m.

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

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 the surrounding city lights or desert landscape, so shoot RAW and bracket or blend exposures to keep both crater detail and the foreground. A full moon rises around sunset, and the days before full see it rise later each evening. A 200 mm or longer lens helps frame the moon tightly with the El Paso–Juárez skyline from a Rim Road overlook, and a tripod with a remote release or 2-second timer avoids shake. PhotoPills or Stellarium can check whether the moon will line up with a landmark on your date.

Q. How do desert wind, dust and temperature swings affect moon viewing in El Paso?

El Paso's dry desert climate can provide excellent visibility, but wind, dust and rapidly changing temperatures can still affect conditions after dark. The exposed Rim Road overlooks can catch desert wind, so a sturdy tripod helps. Desert temperatures can drop quickly after sunset, so bring a light layer, and carry spare batteries for long sessions outdoors. If the moon looks soft or hazy right at moonrise, wait until it climbs higher above the horizon, when atmospheric effects are often less pronounced.

Q. Can I visit El Paso's moon viewpoints after dark?

Access varies by site. Franklin Mountains State Park is gated, with visitor access generally ending at 5 p.m., and it charges a $5 adult entry fee, so it suits an early-evening visit rather than a true moonrise. The Wyler Aerial Tramway is currently closed to the public for safety reasons. Scenic Drive can be busy around sunset and has periodic vehicle closures, Ascarate Park's hours vary seasonally, and Chamizal National Memorial's grounds and Cultural Center keep separate hours that have changed over the years, so check current City, County and NPS information before planning a late visit. Downtown businesses keep their own hours.