Moon · Los Angeles
Moon in Los Angeles
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 Los Angeles - next 14 days
| Date | Phase | Illum. | Moonrise | Moonset | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jul 4Today | Waning Gibbous | 80% | 11:10 PM | 10:05 AM | 4:20 AM · 46° |
| Sun, Jul 5 | Waning Gibbous | 71% | 11:35 PM | 11:05 AM | 5:03 AM · 51° |
| Mon, Jul 6 | Last Quarter | 61% | - | 12:05 PM | 5:46 AM · 58° |
| Tue, Jul 7 | Last Quarter | 50% | 12:02 AM | 1:09 PM | 6:30 AM · 64° |
| Wed, Jul 8 | Last Quarter | 39% | 12:31 AM | 2:15 PM | 7:18 AM · 70° |
| Thu, Jul 9 | Waning Crescent | 29% | 1:04 AM | 3:26 PM | 8:10 AM · 76° |
| Fri, Jul 10 | Waning Crescent | 19% | 1:44 AM | 4:39 PM | 9:07 AM · 80° |
| Sat, Jul 11 | Waning Crescent | 10% | 2:33 AM | 5:53 PM | 10:10 AM · 83° |
| Sun, Jul 12 | Waning Crescent | 4% | 3:33 AM | 7:00 PM | 11:17 AM · 84° |
| Mon, Jul 13 | New | 1% | 4:43 AM | 7:58 PM | 12:24 PM · 83° |
| Tue, Jul 14 | New | 0% | 5:59 AM | 8:46 PM | 1:27 PM · 79° |
| Wed, Jul 15 | New | 3% | 7:14 AM | 9:26 PM | 2:25 PM · 74° |
| Thu, Jul 16 | Waxing Crescent | 8% | 8:27 AM | 9:58 PM | 3:18 PM · 68° |
| Fri, Jul 17 | Waxing Crescent | 15% | 9:35 AM | 10:27 PM | 4:06 PM · 61° |
Times are local to Los Angeles. 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 Los Angeles on Sat, Jul 4
Tonight the moon over Los Angeles is a Waning Gibbous, 80% illuminated. It rises at 11:10 PM, is highest at 4:20 AM, sets at 10:05 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 south at 4:20 AM, peaking 46° 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 Los Angeles today?
- In Los Angeles on Sat, Jul 4, moonrise is at 11:10 PM and moonset is at 10:05 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 Los Angeles?
- On Sat, Jul 4 the moon is a Waning Gibbous, 80% illuminated. The next full moon is Wed, Jul 29 and the next new moon is Tue, Jul 14.
- Is tonight a full moon in Los Angeles?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waning Gibbous at 80% illumination. The next full moon in Los Angeles is Wed, Jul 29.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Los Angeles tonight?
- The moon is highest at 4:20 AM, reaching 46° above the horizon toward the south. 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 Los Angeles right now the shift is about 26 minutes: 11:10 PM today versus 11:35 PM tomorrow.
