Moon · Seattle
Moon in Seattle
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 Seattle - next 14 days
| Date | Phase | Illum. | Moonrise | Moonset | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Sep 23Today | Waxing Gibbous | 91% | 5:55 PM | 3:25 AM | 11:10 PM · 32° |
| Thu, Sep 24 | Waxing Gibbous | 96% | 6:12 PM | 4:37 AM | 11:54 PM · 38° |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Full | 99% | 6:28 PM | 5:50 AM | - |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Full | 100% | 6:44 PM | 7:04 AM | 12:39 AM · 44° |
| Sun, Sep 27 | Full | 98% | 7:03 PM | 8:21 AM | 1:25 AM · 51° |
| Mon, Sep 28 | Waning Gibbous | 94% | 7:25 PM | 9:42 AM | 2:13 AM · 57° |
| Tue, Sep 29 | Waning Gibbous | 88% | 7:53 PM | 11:04 AM | 3:06 AM · 62° |
| Wed, Sep 30 | Waning Gibbous | 80% | 8:32 PM | 12:27 PM | 4:02 AM · 67° |
| Thu, Oct 1 | Waning Gibbous | 70% | 9:23 PM | 1:43 PM | 5:03 AM · 70° |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Last Quarter | 59% | 10:29 PM | 2:47 PM | 6:06 AM · 70° |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Last Quarter | 47% | 11:46 PM | 3:37 PM | 7:08 AM · 69° |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Last Quarter | 36% | - | 4:13 PM | 8:08 AM · 66° |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Waning Crescent | 26% | 1:08 AM | 4:40 PM | 9:03 AM · 62° |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Waning Crescent | 17% | 2:29 AM | 5:02 PM | 9:54 AM · 56° |
Times are local to Seattle. 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 Seattle on Wed, Sep 23
Tonight the moon over Seattle is a Waxing Gibbous, 91% illuminated. It rises at 5:55 PM, is highest at 11:10 PM, sets at 3:25 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 11:10 PM, peaking 32° 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 Seattle today?
- In Seattle on Wed, Sep 23, moonrise is at 5:55 PM and moonset is at 3:25 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 Seattle?
- 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 Seattle?
- No. Tonight the moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 91% illumination. The next full moon in Seattle is Sat, Sep 26.
- When is the best time to see the moon in Seattle tonight?
- The moon is highest at 11:10 PM, reaching 32° 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 Seattle right now the shift is about 17 minutes: 5:55 PM today versus 6:12 PM tomorrow.
