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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 8Today | New | 1% | 4:45 AM | 6:50 PM | 11:43 AM · 74° |
| Mon, Nov 9 | New | 0% | 5:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 12:30 PM · 78° |
| Tue, Nov 10 | New | 1% | 5:54 AM | 8:51 PM | 1:20 PM · 81° |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Waxing Crescent | 4% | 6:37 AM | 9:48 PM | 2:11 PM · 83° |
| Thu, Nov 12 | Waxing Crescent | 9% | 7:25 AM | 10:40 PM | 3:03 PM · 84° |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Waxing Crescent | 15% | 8:18 AM | 11:26 PM | 3:54 PM · 83° |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Waxing Crescent | 22% | 9:14 AM | - | 4:43 PM · 81° |
| Sun, Nov 15 | Waxing Crescent | 31% | 10:12 AM | 12:05 AM | 5:30 PM · 77° |
| Mon, Nov 16 | First Quarter | 40% | 11:11 AM | 12:40 AM | 6:15 PM · 73° |
| Tue, Nov 17 | First Quarter | 49% | 12:10 PM | 1:10 AM | 6:58 PM · 68° |
| Wed, Nov 18 | First Quarter | 59% | 1:09 PM | 1:38 AM | 7:41 PM · 62° |
| Thu, Nov 19 | First Quarter | 69% | 2:08 PM | 2:04 AM | 8:24 PM · 56° |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Waxing Gibbous | 78% | 3:10 PM | 2:30 AM | 9:08 PM · 50° |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Waxing Gibbous | 86% | 4:15 PM | 2:58 AM | 9:56 PM · 44° |
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 Sun, Nov 8
Tonight the moon over Cape Town is a New Moon, 1% illuminated. It rises at 4:45 AM, is highest at 11:43 AM, sets at 6:50 PM, all in local time.
With the moon dark, tonight is about everything else in the sky. This is the best window of the month for stars, the Milky Way and any long exposure that wants a truly black sky.
For direction, the moon climbs highest toward the north at 11:43 AM, peaking 74° 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 Sun, Nov 8, moonrise is at 4:45 AM and moonset is at 6:50 PM, 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 Sun, Nov 8 the moon is a New Moon, 1% illuminated. The next full moon is Tue, Nov 24 and the next new moon is Mon, Nov 9.
- Is tonight a full moon in Cape Town?
- No. Tonight the moon is a New Moon at 1% illumination. The next full moon in Cape Town is Tue, Nov 24.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Cape Town tonight?
- The moon is highest at 11:43 AM, reaching 74° 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 33 minutes: 4:45 AM today versus 5:17 AM tomorrow.
