Moon · San Francisco
Moon in San Francisco
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 San Francisco - next 14 days
| Date | Phase | Illum. | Moonrise | Moonset | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Sep 23Today | Waxing Gibbous | 91% | 5:39 PM | 3:47 AM | 11:11 PM · 41° |
| Thu, Sep 24 | Waxing Gibbous | 96% | 6:04 PM | 4:50 AM | 11:55 PM · 48° |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Full | 99% | 6:28 PM | 5:55 AM | - |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Full | 100% | 6:53 PM | 7:00 AM | 12:39 AM · 54° |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Full | 98% | 7:20 PM | 8:08 AM | 1:25 AM · 60° |
| Mon, Sep 28 | Waning Gibbous | 94% | 7:51 PM | 9:19 AM | 2:14 AM · 67° |
| Tue, Sep 29 | Waning Gibbous | 88% | 8:29 PM | 10:32 AM | 3:06 AM · 72° |
| Wed, Sep 30 | Waning Gibbous | 80% | 9:14 PM | 11:46 AM | 4:03 AM · 77° |
| Thu, Oct 1 | Waning Gibbous | 70% | 10:10 PM | 12:57 PM | 5:03 AM · 79° |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Last Quarter | 59% | 11:15 PM | 2:01 PM | 6:06 AM · 80° |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Last Quarter | 47% | - | 2:56 PM | 7:08 AM · 79° |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Last Quarter | 36% | 12:26 AM | 3:40 PM | 8:08 AM · 76° |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Waning Crescent | 26% | 1:40 AM | 4:16 PM | 9:03 AM · 72° |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Waning Crescent | 17% | 2:52 AM | 4:46 PM | 9:55 AM · 66° |
Times are local to San Francisco. 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 San Francisco on Wed, Sep 23
Tonight the moon over San Francisco is a Waxing Gibbous, 91% illuminated. It rises at 5:39 PM, is highest at 11:11 PM, sets at 3:47 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 south at 11:11 PM, peaking 41° 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 San Francisco today?
- In San Francisco on Wed, Sep 23, moonrise is at 5:39 PM and moonset is at 3:47 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 San Francisco?
- On Wed, Sep 23 the moon is a Waxing Gibbous, 91% illuminated. The next full moon is Sat, Sep 26 and the next new moon is Sat, Oct 10.
- Is tonight a full moon in San Francisco?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 91% illumination. The next full moon in San Francisco is Sat, Sep 26.
- When is the best time to see the moon in San Francisco tonight?
- The moon is highest at 11:11 PM, reaching 41° 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 San Francisco right now the shift is about 25 minutes: 5:39 PM today versus 6:04 PM tomorrow.
