Today Moonrise Time (2024)

FAQs

What's the best time to see the Moon? ›

Though the Moon is often thought of as a nighttime visitor, it's also visible during the day as a faint, pale presence. The best times to see a daytime Moon are perhaps during the first and last quarter phases, when the Moon is high enough above the horizon and at about 90 degrees from the Sun in the sky.

New Moon: The New Moon is the first phase in the cycle of phases. This Moon phase occurs once a month, immediately after the Waning Crescent Phase, rising around 6 AM, and setting around 6 PM, almost instantaneously becoming a Waxing Crescent.

Moonrise (and, incidentally, the time of high tide) occurs about 50 minutes later each day than the day before. To determine the moonrise time for each day of the month, add 50 minutes each day after a phase or subtract 50 minutes each day before a new phase.

The average travel time to the moon (providing the moon is your intended destination), using current rocket propulsion is approximately three days.

A New Moon rises above the eastern horizon at sunrise with the sun.

This movement is from the Moon's orbit, which takes 27 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes to go full circle. It causes the Moon to move 12–13 degrees east every day. This shift means Earth has to rotate a little longer to bring the Moon into view, which is why moonrise is about 50 minutes later each day.

New moons generally can't be seen. They cross the sky with the sun during the day, and the moon's shadow side is pointed toward Earth. A new moon is visible only during a solar eclipse.

This means that the moon rises later and later each successive day, sometimes rising in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and sometimes at night. Similarly, the moon sets later each day, and can set at any time of the day or night, depending on where it is with respect to the sun.

The Moon rotates very slowly. In fact, the Moon rotates on its axis once for every orbit it makes around Earth. So one day on the Moon is about 29.5 Earth days. The dark, or night, lasts for about half that time.

For example, New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are quite close together in the sky. Full Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are at nearly opposite positions in the sky - which is why a Full Moon rises about the time of sunset, and sets about the time of sunrise, for most places on Earth.

Is tonight a new moon? ›

Waxing Gibbous

Today's moon is 72.44% visible and is crescent. 5 days left to the next phase Full Moon.

New Moons generally can't be seen with the naked eye. A day or two after each month's new Moon, a very slim crescent moon always becomes visible in the west after sunset. It may appear brighter than usual. Seven days after the new Moon, the waxing Moon reaches its First Quarter stage when it's 50% illuminated.

The best time to enjoy a Super Full Moon, or any other Full Moon, is just after moonrise, when the Moon is close to the horizon. Just before moonset is also a good time.

You may want to try taking your photos during a time when the Moon is not too much brighter than the sky, like twilight or dawn, so that your phone's camera will have less contrast to deal with. Or you can try taking a picture as the Moon rises over the horizon, when it tends to appear larger.

Best Stargazing Conditions

New moon, before moonrise, or after moonset – Though a very fantastic and powerful celestial body, the moon and its brightness can impede your ability to see the stars in their multitude. Check the phases of the moon and the moonrise and moonset times.

The Moon appears full when it reaches the halfway point of its orbit—that is, when it is directly opposite the Sun, with Earth in between. Due to its position opposite the Sun, the full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise.