Enter a latitude, longitude, date, and UTC offset to calculate moonrise and moonset times for any location on Earth. Your results include moonrise time, moonset time, moon culmination (highest point), moon altitude, and moon phase illumination — all computed for your chosen date and place.
Moonrise Time
--
Moonset Time
--
Moon Culmination
--
Max Altitude
--
Moon Illumination
--
Moon Phase
--
Moon Visible Duration
--
Moonrise is the moment the Moon appears above the horizon, and moonset is when it disappears below the horizon. These times vary every day because the Moon moves eastward in its orbit, rising roughly 50 minutes later each day compared to the previous day.
Because Earth is a sphere, the Moon's position relative to the horizon differs at every latitude and longitude. Your geographic coordinates and local timezone determine exactly when the Moon crosses your specific horizon.
Moon culmination (also called moon transit) is the moment when the Moon reaches its highest point in the sky, crossing the meridian (an imaginary north-south line directly overhead). At this point, the Moon achieves its maximum altitude above the horizon for that day.
Moon altitude is the angle of the Moon above the horizon measured in degrees, at the time of culmination. A higher altitude means the Moon is more directly overhead. An altitude of 90° would mean it is straight above you, while 0° means it is on the horizon.
Moon illumination is the percentage of the Moon's visible surface that is lit by the Sun. It depends on the phase angle between the Sun, Earth, and Moon. At a full moon it is ~100%, at a new moon it is ~0%, and at quarter phases it is ~50%.
Not always. Near the poles during certain times of the year, the Moon can remain above or below the horizon for extended periods. At most latitudes, however, the Moon rises and sets every day, though sometimes both events occur within the same calendar day or on different days.
Enter your local timezone offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For example, New York (EST) uses -5, London (GMT) uses 0, and Mumbai (IST) uses +5.5. During daylight saving time, add 1 to your standard offset (e.g. New York EDT becomes -4).
Photographers seek moonrise because the Moon appears largest and most dramatic near the horizon due to the Moon illusion — a perceptual effect where the Moon looks bigger when compared to foreground objects like buildings or trees. The golden-hour light also adds warm tones to the scene.