Moon · Melbourne
Moon in Melbourne
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 Melbourne - next 14 days
| Date | Phase | Illum. | Moonrise | Moonset | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jul 4Today | Waning Gibbous | 85% | 9:15 PM | 10:08 AM | 3:16 AM · 67° |
| Sun, Jul 5 | Waning Gibbous | 77% | 10:17 PM | 10:33 AM | 3:59 AM · 61° |
| Mon, Jul 6 | Last Quarter | 68% | 11:21 PM | 10:56 AM | 4:42 AM · 55° |
| Tue, Jul 7 | Last Quarter | 58% | - | 11:19 AM | 5:25 AM · 49° |
| Wed, Jul 8 | Last Quarter | 47% | 12:26 AM | 11:45 AM | 6:10 AM · 43° |
| Thu, Jul 9 | Last Quarter | 36% | 1:35 AM | 12:14 PM | 6:59 AM · 37° |
| Fri, Jul 10 | Waning Crescent | 26% | 2:47 AM | 12:49 PM | 7:52 AM · 31° |
| Sat, Jul 11 | Waning Crescent | 16% | 4:03 AM | 1:34 PM | 8:51 AM · 27° |
| Sun, Jul 12 | Waning Crescent | 8% | 5:19 AM | 2:30 PM | 9:55 AM · 25° |
| Mon, Jul 13 | New | 3% | 6:29 AM | 3:38 PM | 11:02 AM · 24° |
| Tue, Jul 14 | New | 0% | 7:28 AM | 4:54 PM | 12:09 PM · 26° |
| Wed, Jul 15 | New | 1% | 8:16 AM | 6:13 PM | 1:11 PM · 30° |
| Thu, Jul 16 | Waxing Crescent | 4% | 8:54 AM | 7:29 PM | 2:07 PM · 36° |
| Fri, Jul 17 | Waxing Crescent | 10% | 9:25 AM | 8:41 PM | 2:58 PM · 42° |
Times are local to Melbourne. 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 Melbourne on Sat, Jul 4
Tonight the moon over Melbourne is a Waning Gibbous, 85% illuminated. It rises at 9:15 PM, is highest at 3:16 AM, sets at 10:08 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 3:16 AM, peaking 67° 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 Melbourne today?
- In Melbourne on Sat, Jul 4, moonrise is at 9:15 PM and moonset is at 10:08 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 Melbourne?
- On Sat, Jul 4 the moon is a Waning Gibbous, 85% illuminated. The next full moon is Thu, Jul 30 and the next new moon is Tue, Jul 14.
- Is tonight a full moon in Melbourne?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waning Gibbous at 85% illumination. The next full moon in Melbourne is Thu, Jul 30.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Melbourne tonight?
- The moon is highest at 3:16 AM, reaching 67° 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 Melbourne right now the shift is about 62 minutes: 9:15 PM today versus 10:17 PM tomorrow.
