Moon · Cape Town
Moon in Cape Town
A bright, fully-lit disc that works well for landscapes and moonrise shots.
Darkest skies, best for the Milky Way and astrophotography.
Moonrise & moonset in Cape Town - next 14 days
| Date | Phase | Illum. | Moonrise | Moonset | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 24Today | Waxing Gibbous | 94% | 4:39 PM | 5:13 AM | 11:14 PM · 63° |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Full | 98% | 5:41 PM | 5:40 AM | 11:58 PM · 57° |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Full | 100% | 6:44 PM | 6:07 AM | - |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Full | 99% | 7:49 PM | 6:34 AM | 12:43 AM · 50° |
| Mon, Sep 28 | Full | 96% | 8:57 PM | 7:04 AM | 1:31 AM · 44° |
| Tue, Sep 29 | Waning Gibbous | 91% | 10:08 PM | 7:38 AM | 2:22 AM · 38° |
| Wed, Sep 30 | Waning Gibbous | 83% | 11:20 PM | 8:19 AM | 3:17 AM · 33° |
| Thu, Oct 1 | Waning Gibbous | 74% | - | 9:08 AM | 4:16 AM · 30° |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Last Quarter | 63% | 12:30 AM | 10:05 AM | 5:18 AM · 28° |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Last Quarter | 52% | 1:33 AM | 11:11 AM | 6:21 AM · 29° |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Last Quarter | 40% | 2:27 AM | 12:21 PM | 7:22 AM · 31° |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Waning Crescent | 30% | 3:12 AM | 1:32 PM | 8:19 AM · 35° |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Waning Crescent | 20% | 3:50 AM | 2:41 PM | 9:12 AM · 40° |
| Wed, Oct 7 | Waning Crescent | 12% | 4:22 AM | 3:48 PM | 10:01 AM · 46° |
Times are local to Cape Town. A dash means the event falls on a neighboring calendar day. “Highest” is the moon’s transit - its best viewing moment - with peak altitude above the horizon.
The moon over Cape Town on Thu, Sep 24
Tonight the moon over Cape Town is a Waxing Gibbous, 94% illuminated. It rises at 4:39 PM, is highest at 11:14 PM, sets at 5:13 AM, all in local time.
The moon is bright for most of the evening, washing out faint stars but lighting up foregrounds. Good for moonlit landscapes; less good for astrophotography.
For direction, the moon climbs highest toward the north at 11:14 PM, peaking 63° above the horizon. Like the sun, it rises on the eastern side of the sky and sets on the western side, with the exact bearing drifting through the month - the table above gives each day’s times so you can plan a specific alignment.
Frequently asked
- What time does the moon rise in Cape Town today?
- In Cape Town on Thu, Sep 24, moonrise is at 4:39 PM and moonset is at 5:13 AM, local time. Because the moon moves along its orbit each day, both shift roughly 30 to 70 minutes later from one day to the next.
- What phase is the moon tonight in Cape Town?
- On Thu, Sep 24 the moon is a Waxing Gibbous, 94% illuminated. The next full moon is Sat, Sep 26 and the next new moon is Sat, Oct 10.
- Is tonight a full moon in Cape Town?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 94% illumination. The next full moon in Cape Town is Sat, Sep 26.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Cape Town tonight?
- The moon is highest at 11:14 PM, reaching 63° above the horizon toward the north. Around that time it clears buildings and haze best.
- Why does the moon rise later each night?
- The moon orbits Earth in about 29.5 days, moving roughly 12° eastward against the sky each day. Earth has to rotate that extra bit before the moon clears the horizon again, which delays moonrise by about 50 minutes on average - less near the equator, more at high latitudes. In Cape Town right now the shift is about 62 minutes: 4:39 PM today versus 5:41 PM tomorrow.
