Moonrise and Moonset Calculator
Find when the Moon rises, sets and crosses the meridian for any city or coordinates, with its compass direction, highest altitude and how much of it is lit. A full month table shows every night at a glance, all calculated offline in your browser.
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North latitude and east longitude are positive; south and west are negative (e.g. Chicago 41.8781, −87.6298).
Month table
How to use the Moonrise and Moonset Calculator
- Choose a city from the list, press Use my location, or type a latitude and longitude (north and east positive).
- Pick a date: today is selected. Use the Day arrows to step through the month.
- Check the time zone. It is set automatically for listed cities; for custom coordinates choose the zone or a UTC offset.
- Press Calculate to see moonrise, moonset, transit and illumination, plus the altitude chart.
- Scroll to the month table to plan ahead, then copy it or download it as CSV.
How the moonrise and moonset times are calculated
For every minute-scale step through the day the calculator finds the Moon's position from its orbital theory (the main periodic terms of the ELP-2000/82 lunar theory in Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms), applies nutation, converts it to the true equator and equinox of date, and then shifts it for parallax, because the Moon is close enough that your position on Earth changes where it appears by up to about one degree. The topocentric altitude is then compared with the rise/set threshold:
- Rise/set threshold: h = −(34′ + s), where 34′ is standard horizon refraction and s is the Moon's apparent semi-diameter (about 15–16.7′). In other words the Moon's upper edge is on the horizon.
- Transit: the moment the Moon's local hour angle is 0°, when it is due south (or north) and highest for that pass.
- Illumination: k = (1 + cos i) / 2, where i is the phase angle Sun–Moon–Earth. 0% is new moon, 100% is full moon.
Each crossing is found by bisection to within a few seconds, then rounded to the nearest minute.
Typical moonrise times by phase
| Phase | Illumination | Rises around | Highest around | Sets around | Best seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Moon | 0% | Sunrise | Noon | Sunset | Not visible (lost in sunlight) |
| Waxing Crescent | 1–49% | Mid-morning | Mid-afternoon | Evening | West after sunset |
| First Quarter | 50% | Noon | Sunset | Midnight | Afternoon and evening |
| Waxing Gibbous | 51–99% | Mid-afternoon | Late evening | Before dawn | Most of the night |
| Full Moon | 100% | Sunset | Midnight | Sunrise | All night |
| Last Quarter | 50% | Midnight | Sunrise | Noon | After midnight and morning |
These are averages for mid-latitudes. The real times drift with the season and your latitude, which is exactly why a calculator is useful.
Tips for watching and photographing moonrise
- Use the azimuth. The rise and set direction tells you where to look; match it with a compass or map app to line the Moon up with a landmark.
- Full moon rises at dusk. On or one day before full moon the Moon rises close to sunset, so the sky still has color while the Moon sits low and looks large (the "Moon illusion").
- Harvest Moon effect. Around the September equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (March in the Southern) the Moon's path meets the evening horizon at a shallow angle, so it rises only 20–30 minutes later each night instead of the usual 50.
- Allow for terrain. Times assume a flat horizon. Mountains or buildings delay the visible moonrise; a high viewpoint or sea horizon makes it slightly earlier.
- Plan by the month table. Look for evenings when moonrise is close to sunset, or check the Sunrise Sunset Calculator to compare with twilight times.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no moonrise on some dates?
The Moon rises on average about 50 minutes later each day. Roughly once a month a rise time slips past midnight into the next calendar day, so one date has no moonrise at all. The same happens with moonset on a different date.
How is moonrise defined?
Moonrise and moonset are the moments when the upper edge of the Moon touches a flat, sea-level horizon. The calculation includes about 34 arcminutes of atmospheric refraction, the Moon's apparent radius, and parallax for your exact position on Earth, the same convention used by national almanac offices.
What is the Moon transit time?
Transit, also called culmination, is when the Moon crosses your meridian (due south from the Northern Hemisphere, due north from far in the Southern Hemisphere) and stands highest in the sky for that pass. It is the best time to observe or photograph it.
How accurate are these moon times?
Moon positions come from the main terms of the ELP-2000/82 lunar theory as published by Jean Meeus, which is accurate to about 10 arcseconds. Rise and set times are usually within a minute of almanac values; hills, buildings, elevation and unusual refraction can change what you actually see by several minutes.
Why does the Moon rise in a different direction every night?
The Moon's path is tilted to the celestial equator, so over a month its declination swings north and south by up to about 28.6 degrees. When it is far north it rises in the northeast and stays up long; when far south it rises in the southeast and has a short, low arc (for northern observers).
Is the illumination the same everywhere on Earth?
Yes, almost. The lit fraction depends on the angle between the Sun, Moon and Earth, so everyone sees nearly the same percentage at the same instant. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere see the Moon upside down, so the lit side appears on the opposite side.
Can the Moon be up during the day?
Yes. Except around new moon, the Moon spends part of every day above the horizon in daylight. A first-quarter Moon rises around noon and is visible in the afternoon sky, while a last-quarter Moon is often seen in the morning.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.