What time does the moon set today?

It depends on where you are and the Moon's phase, and it shifts about 50 minutes later each day. Pick a preset city or click Use My Location, press Today, then Calculate to see today's moonset with its compass direction and every day of the month.

What time is moonrise tonight at my location?

Click Use My Location to fill in your latitude and longitude, then Today and My UTC offset, and press Calculate Moon Times. The result shows moonrise, transit and moonset for your local date; the location stays in your browser.

Can I look up moonrise times by ZIP code?

Not directly. The calculator works from latitude and longitude, so use Use My Location or enter the coordinates of your town or ZIP code area together with its UTC offset for that date.

What algorithm is used for moon calculations?

This tool uses a simplified browser-side implementation based on lunar terms described in "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus. It is intended for planning, not as a certified ephemeris. Compare critical observations with the U.S. Naval Observatory or another authoritative almanac.

Why is there no moonrise on some days?

Because moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day, so the times creep around the clock. When one moonrise falls just before midnight, the next one arrives just after the following midnight, skipping a whole calendar date. In New York, for example, the Moon rose at 11:53 PM on October 3, 2026 and next at 1:08 AM on October 5, so October 4 has no moonrise. The same happens to moonset about once a month.

When is the next full moon?

The results list the next new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter with their local date and time. For example, the full moon of October 2026 is on October 26 at 04:12 UTC (12:12 AM EDT in New York, but 9:12 PM on October 25 in Los Angeles), so the date depends on your time zone.

Why does moonrise shift by about 50 minutes each day?

The Moon orbits Earth eastward, completing one orbit in about 29.5 days. Each day the Moon moves roughly 13° eastward relative to the stars, so the Earth must rotate an extra ~50 minutes to bring the Moon back to the same altitude. This is why moonrise times are not fixed like solar times.

What does moon age mean?

Moon age is the number of days since the last new moon. A value of 0 means new moon, ~7 days is first quarter, ~14–15 days is full moon, and ~22 days is last quarter. The full lunar cycle (synodic month) averages 29.53 days.

What is the illuminated fraction?

The illuminated fraction is the percentage of the Moon's visible disk that is lit by the Sun. At new moon it is 0%, at full moon it is 100%, and at the quarters it is approximately 50%. The value is derived from the phase angle between the Moon, Earth, and Sun.

Why might moonrise or moonset show "None" for my location?

Near the poles, the Moon can remain above or below the horizon for multiple days, similar to the midnight sun phenomenon for the Sun. When the Moon does not rise or set on a given date at your latitude, the calculator reports "None" with an explanation.

How accurate are the times shown?

These are planning estimates from a browser-side low-precision ephemeris and a standard refraction model. Local terrain, elevation, weather, atmospheric refraction and an incorrect UTC or daylight-saving offset can shift the observed time. Verify critical observations with an authoritative observatory or almanac.

Moonrise Moonset Calculator

Get moonrise, moonset and transit times with compass direction for any place and date, plus illumination, exact moon phase dates and a full-month table.

Moon set (moonset) is the moment the Moon's upper edge drops below the horizon.

Location & Date

Latitude (°)

Longitude (°)

Quick presets

Date

UTC Offset (hours)

Coordinates and calculations stay in your browser. “Use My Location” asks for browser permission. A preset city or your own location follows that time zone’s daylight-saving rules; a UTC offset you type stays fixed.

Enter location and date to calculate moon times

—

Lunar Phase

Illumination —

Moon Age —

Moonrise

—

Transit

—

Moonset

—

Lunar Details

Right Ascension —

Declination —

Distance —

Phase Angle —

Above horizon at local noon —

Next Full Moon —

Next moon phases

Moonrise and moonset for the month

Date	Moonrise	Transit	Moonset	Illum.	Phase

“—” means that event does not happen on that local date: the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, so roughly once a month a date has no moonrise, and another has no moonset. Events assume a level, unobstructed sea-level horizon and standard refraction.

Method and verification

Moonrise and moonset mean the apparent upper limb crossing an ideal horizon. The calculator samples the Moon’s altitude every 10 minutes across the local date (Meeus lunar series, standard altitude 0.7275 × parallax − 34′) and refines each crossing; phase instants are solved from the Moon–Sun longitude difference. Spot checks against the USNO service agree within about a minute. Terrain, elevation and atmospheric conditions can change what you observe. For critical or legal use, verify the result with the U.S. Naval Observatory one-day service and read its rise/set definitions.

Quick answer

Moon set (moonset) is the moment the Moon's upper edge drops below the horizon. It comes about 50 minutes later each day on average, so its time depends on the lunar phase, your latitude and longitude, and the date.

Examples

Moon phase	Rises around	Sets around
New Moon	Sunrise	Sunset
First Quarter	Noon	Midnight
Full Moon	Sunset	Sunrise
Last Quarter	Midnight	Noon

Pick a city or use your location for today's moonrise, moonset and the month table.

Summary

The Moonrise Moonset Calculator finds when the Moon rises, transits and sets during a selected local date, and correctly reports the dates that have no moonrise or no moonset. Pick a preset city or use your location to follow that time zone, including daylight saving, or type a fixed UTC offset. Results include rise and set direction, illumination, moon age, the next four phase instants and a full-month table.

How it works

Enter your latitude and longitude, or click "Use My Location" to auto-fill from your browser.
Select the date you want to evaluate and enter your UTC offset.
Lunar position (right ascension and declination) is calculated from the main periodic terms of the Meeus lunar theory.
The Moon's altitude is sampled every 10 minutes from local midnight to the next midnight; each crossing of the standard altitude (0.7275 × parallax − 34′, the apparent upper limb with refraction) is refined to the second.
If no crossing falls inside the date, the result says there is no moonrise or moonset that day instead of borrowing one from the next day.
Illumination comes from the Moon–Sun elongation; new moon, quarters and full moon are solved as the instants that elongation reaches 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.

Use cases

Plan astrophotography sessions around a new moon for dark skies.
Find moonrise times for landscape photography with a full moon backdrop.
Schedule nighttime hiking or camping trips with adequate moonlight.
Track the lunar cycle for fishing, gardening, or tidal predictions.
Determine moon visibility for astronomical observations.
Calculate moon age and phase for religious or cultural calendar purposes.
Verify moonrise azimuth for alignment photography at specific landmarks.
Plan wildlife observation activities that depend on moon brightness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu