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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jul 4Today | Waning Gibbous | 83% | 10:07 PM | 10:38 AM | 3:57 AM · 69° |
| Sun, Jul 5 | Waning Gibbous | 74% | 11:06 PM | 11:05 AM | 4:40 AM · 63° |
| Mon, Jul 6 | Last Quarter | 65% | - | 11:30 AM | 5:23 AM · 57° |
| Tue, Jul 7 | Last Quarter | 54% | 12:08 AM | 11:57 AM | 6:07 AM · 50° |
| Wed, Jul 8 | Last Quarter | 43% | 1:11 AM | 12:26 PM | 6:53 AM · 44° |
| Thu, Jul 9 | Last Quarter | 33% | 2:18 AM | 1:00 PM | 7:43 AM · 38° |
| Fri, Jul 10 | Waning Crescent | 22% | 3:29 AM | 1:41 PM | 8:38 AM · 33° |
| Sat, Jul 11 | Waning Crescent | 13% | 4:43 AM | 2:31 PM | 9:39 AM · 30° |
| Sun, Jul 12 | Waning Crescent | 6% | 5:56 AM | 3:33 PM | 10:45 AM · 28° |
| Mon, Jul 13 | New | 2% | 7:03 AM | 4:44 PM | 11:52 AM · 29° |
| Tue, Jul 14 | New | 0% | 8:00 AM | 5:59 PM | 12:57 PM · 31° |
| Wed, Jul 15 | New | 2% | 8:46 AM | 7:15 PM | 1:57 PM · 36° |
| Thu, Jul 16 | Waxing Crescent | 6% | 9:25 AM | 8:27 PM | 2:52 PM · 42° |
| Fri, Jul 17 | Waxing Crescent | 12% | 9:57 AM | 9:35 PM | 3:42 PM · 48° |
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 Sat, Jul 4
Tonight the moon over Cape Town is a Waning Gibbous, 83% illuminated. It rises at 10:07 PM, is highest at 3:57 AM, sets at 10:38 AM, all in local time.
The moon now rises well after sunset, leaving a stretch of dark evening sky before a bright late night. Plan star work early and moon work late.
For direction, the moon climbs highest toward the north at 3:57 AM, peaking 69° 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 Sat, Jul 4, moonrise is at 10:07 PM and moonset is at 10:38 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 Sat, Jul 4 the moon is a Waning Gibbous, 83% illuminated. The next full moon is Wed, Jul 29 and the next new moon is Tue, Jul 14.
- Is tonight a full moon in Cape Town?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waning Gibbous at 83% illumination. The next full moon in Cape Town is Wed, Jul 29.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Cape Town tonight?
- The moon is highest at 3:57 AM, reaching 69° 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 60 minutes: 10:07 PM today versus 11:06 PM tomorrow.
