- Where is the moon right now?
- It depends on where you are and the time. Allow location (or pick a city) at the top of this page and it shows the direction to face (compass bearing from true north) and how high to look (altitude in degrees above the horizon), updated every few seconds.
- Why can’t I see the moon tonight?
- Usually because it’s below the horizon. The moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, so for part of every month it rises after midnight or only in daylight. Around new moon it’s up in the daytime next to the sun and you can’t see it at all. If the table says the moon is up, check the direction: trees, buildings and clouds can hide a low moon.
- Why is the moon out during the day?
- The moon spends about as much time above the horizon in daylight as at night. In the week after first quarter it rises in the afternoon, and in the week after full moon it sets in the morning, so it’s often visible in a blue sky.
- What phase is the moon today?
- The phase card at the top shows today’s phase, how much of the disc is lit and the moon’s age in days since the last new moon, drawn the way it looks from your hemisphere.
- When is the next full moon?
- The “Next full and new moons” list shows the next dates and times in your time zone, and the moon phases calendar lists every new moon, quarter and full moon through 2028.
- How accurate is this?
- Positions use the lunar theory in Jean Meeus’s Astronomical Algorithms, with parallax and refraction. Checked against PyEphem for seven cities, altitude and direction agree to within 0.01°, rise and set times to within about 40 seconds, and every new moon, quarter and full moon from 2026 to 2028 to within 20 seconds. Hills, buildings and unusual air can shift what you actually see by a minute or two.
- Is my location stored?
- Your location is only used in your browser to calculate the sky. It is never sent anywhere. If you allow it, it is remembered on this device only, so the page opens on your sky next time.