Moon visibility · rise, transit and set · local times
Moonrise and Moonset Calculator
Calculate Moonrise, upper transit and Moonset for a date, latitude, longitude and UTC offset. The result also shows midday illumination, so you can distinguish local visibility from the Moon's global phase.
Date, time zone and location
Moonrise is not a fixed clock time
The Moon moves eastward against the stars while Earth rotates, so rise time usually shifts from one civil date to the next. The amount is not a fixed fifty minutes: latitude, lunar declination, horizon geometry and the Moon's changing orbital speed all matter. A phase calendar can be the same worldwide at an instant, while Moonrise differs by location.
Rise and set
The standard calculation includes refraction and the Moon's upper limb, for a level astronomical horizon.
Upper transit
This is when the Moon crosses the local meridian; it is often, but not always, the highest visible point.
Practical horizon
Buildings, hills, trees, weather and elevation can make the observed appearance later or disappearance earlier.
A city preset supplies coordinates, not historical time-zone law. Always enter the UTC offset valid on the selected date. Near polar latitudes, one civil date may contain no rise or no set.