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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 24Today | Waxing Gibbous | 93% | 3:47 PM | 4:42 AM | 10:32 PM · 62° |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Full | 97% | 4:51 PM | 5:07 AM | 11:16 PM · 55° |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Full | 100% | 5:56 PM | 5:32 AM | - |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Full | 100% | 7:04 PM | 5:56 AM | 12:01 AM · 49° |
| Mon, Sep 28 | Full | 98% | 8:14 PM | 6:22 AM | 12:48 AM · 42° |
| Tue, Sep 29 | Waning Gibbous | 93% | 9:27 PM | 6:52 AM | 1:37 AM · 36° |
| Wed, Sep 30 | Waning Gibbous | 86% | 10:41 PM | 7:27 AM | 2:31 AM · 31° |
| Thu, Oct 1 | Waning Gibbous | 77% | 11:53 PM | 8:11 AM | 3:28 AM · 27° |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Last Quarter | 67% | - | 9:04 AM | 4:30 AM · 25° |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Last Quarter | 56% | 12:59 AM | 10:07 AM | 5:33 AM · 24° |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Last Quarter | 45% | 1:56 AM | 12:17 PM | 7:34 AM · 26° |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Last Quarter | 34% | 3:42 AM | 1:30 PM | 8:33 AM · 29° |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Waning Crescent | 23% | 4:20 AM | 2:43 PM | 9:27 AM · 34° |
| Wed, Oct 7 | Waning Crescent | 15% | 4:51 AM | 3:54 PM | 10:18 AM · 40° |
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 Thu, Sep 24
Tonight the moon over Melbourne is a Waxing Gibbous, 93% illuminated. It rises at 3:47 PM, is highest at 10:32 PM, sets at 4:42 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 10:32 PM, peaking 62° 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 Thu, Sep 24, moonrise is at 3:47 PM and moonset is at 4:42 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 Thu, Sep 24 the moon is a Waxing Gibbous, 93% illuminated. The next full moon is Sun, Sep 27 and the next new moon is Sun, Oct 11.
- Is tonight a full moon in Melbourne?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 93% illumination. The next full moon in Melbourne is Sun, Sep 27.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Melbourne tonight?
- The moon is highest at 10:32 PM, reaching 62° 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 64 minutes: 3:47 PM today versus 4:51 PM tomorrow.
