How to Use the Moonrise & Moonset Calculator
Whether you're planning a full moon photo, a night hike, or a stargazing trip, knowing roughly when the moon will rise and set is genuinely useful. This calculator only needs a date and time zone to estimate moonrise and moonset times, along with the moon's current phase, based on where it sits in its lunar cycle.
The moon rises about 50 minutes later each day because the lunar orbit (a synodic month, about 29.53 days) is slightly longer than one Earth rotation. At a new moon, the moon rises and sets at roughly the same time as the sun; at a full moon, it's the reverse - moonrise happens around sunset and moonset around sunrise. This calculator uses that predictable cycle to produce a quick estimate without needing a full ephemeris.
Keep in mind this is a simplified estimate that doesn't account for your exact latitude and longitude, so actual times can differ by up to 1-2 hours. For applications that need precision, such as astrophotography or telescope observation, cross-check with an official almanac or observatory source.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a simplified estimate based only on the moon's lunar age, without accounting for your exact latitude and longitude, so results can be off by up to 1-2 hours. For precise times, check an official source like a national observatory almanac.
Near a full moon, moonrise happens around sunset and moonset around sunrise. Near a new moon, it's the opposite - the moon rises and sets close to the same time as the sun.