Moonrise and Moonset Times Calculator
This moonrise and moonset times calculator finds what time the moon rises and sets on any date, for your location or anywhere else in the world. Unlike the moon's illumination phase, rise and set times depend on where you are, so this tool needs a location as well as a date.
How to use this tool
Pick a date, then either choose a city from the list or tap "Use my location" to let your browser share your coordinates (nothing is sent to a server either way -- the calculation runs entirely on your device). Times are shown in the local time for whichever city or location you pick.
Why moonrise and moonset need a location
The moon's illumination phase (new, full, crescent) is the same everywhere on Earth at a given moment. When it rises and sets is not -- it depends on your latitude and longitude, the same way sunrise and sunset do. Near the poles, the moon can also stay above the horizon all day or stay below it all day, depending on the season and its position in its monthly cycle -- this tool will tell you when that happens.
Rise and set times are calculated from the moon's geocentric position (a documented, publicly available formula for ecliptic longitude, right ascension, and declination, the same one used by several open-source astronomy libraries), adjusted for your location and standard atmospheric refraction. We checked this implementation against real published moonrise and moonset times for two cities in different hemispheres, and it landed within about 1 to 3 minutes both times -- accurate enough for planning, not observatory-grade. Compass direction and the "highest in the sky" transit time use the same position math and the same accuracy range, but haven't been separately checked against a published reference the way the rise and set times were -- treat them as a good approximation, not an exact bearing.
Common questions
How accurate are these times?
Typically within a few minutes. We checked this tool's calculations against real published moonrise and moonset times for New York City and Sydney, and both landed within about 1 to 3 minutes of the published time.
Why do I need to enter a location?
Moonrise and moonset happen at different times depending on where you are on Earth, the same way sunrise and sunset do. The moon's phase (how much is lit) doesn't depend on location, but the time it crosses your horizon does.
What does it mean if the moon doesn't rise or set today?
Near the poles, and depending on the season, the moon can stay above the horizon all day or stay below it all day. If that happens for your date and location, this tool will tell you directly instead of showing a rise or set time.
Is my location sent anywhere?
No. If you use the "Use my location" button, your browser's geolocation feature only shares your coordinates with this page, and the entire calculation runs on your device.