How to use the moonrise calculator
Choose a city, use your current location or enter coordinates, then pick a date. You get the moonrise and moonset times with the compass direction to look, the time when the Moon is highest (its meridian passage) with its altitude, the Moon’s phase and illumination, and, for today, its current height and direction in the sky.
The month table shows moonrise, moonset, the highest point and the illuminated fraction for every day, with a small drawing of the phase.
Where the Moon rises
Like the Sun, the Moon rises roughly in the east and sets roughly in the west, but its rising point swings much further in a month than the Sun’s does in a year. A full moon in winter rises far to the north-east and climbs high, while a summer full moon rises in the south-east and stays low (in the northern hemisphere; the reverse in the south). The direction shown with each time tells you where to look.
Planning to photograph the Moon
The most striking Moon photos are often taken at moonrise, when the Moon is near the horizon next to landmarks. Around full moon, moonrise is close to sunset, so the landscape is still lit. Check the sunrise and sunset times for the same place, the Moon phases to choose your night, and the sky tonight for planets nearby.