Why does the full moon rise at sunset?

A full moon sits opposite the sun in the sky, so it comes up in the east as the sun goes down in the west and stays up all night. Each night after, it rises about fifty minutes later — except near the Harvest Moon, when the shallow angle of its path makes the delay only twenty or thirty minutes for several evenings.

Is the moon phase the same everywhere on Earth?

Yes — the phase is a fact about the moon and the sun, not about you. What changes with your place is the clock time of the instant, when the moon rises and sets, where it stands in your sky, and how its lit side is tilted.

A full moon that falls near perigee, the closest point of the moon's slightly oval orbit — closer than about 363,000 km by the rule the almanacs use. It looks about seven percent wider than an average full moon and up to fourteen percent wider than one at apogee; the difference is real, and hard to see without a comparison.

The full moon calendar

The Beaver Moon. Tuesday, November 24, 2:53 PM UTC, a supermoon.

Every full moon of 2026 and 2027, with its name, its distance, and whether it is a supermoon, a blue moon, or eclipsed. Times switch to your own clock in the browser.

The moon and the stars, on one dial.

Sol for iPhone and Apple Watch is coming soon, with tonight’s moon, its rise and set, and the Sky tab’s view of where it stands.

The month ahead.

Thirty nights, each moon lit as it will be at ten in the evening. The phase is the same everywhere on Earth; only the hours are yours.

2026 and 2027.

The next is the Beaver Moon. It is full on Tuesday, November 24 at 9:53 AM in New York, 6:53 AM in Los Angeles and 2:53 PM in London, and on Wednesday, November 25 at 1:53 AM in Sydney. Every full moon of both years, by name and in your own clock. Each is drawn at its apparent size: a full moon near its closest looks about seven percent wider.

Every full moon, 2026 and 2027 · UTC

Wolf MoonJan 3, 2026Sat, 10:02 AMSupermoon362,312 km
Snow MoonFeb 1, 2026Sun, 10:09 PM371,384 km
Worm MoonMar 3, 2026Tue, 11:37 AMTotal lunar eclipse382,609 km
Pink MoonApr 2, 2026Thu, 2:12 AM393,596 km
Flower MoonMay 1, 2026Fri, 5:23 PM402,003 km
Blue MoonMay 31, 2026Sun, 8:45 AMBlue moon406,135 km
Strawberry MoonJun 29, 2026Mon, 11:56 PM405,251 km
Buck MoonJul 29, 2026Wed, 2:35 PM399,617 km
Sturgeon MoonAug 28, 2026Fri, 4:18 AMPartial lunar eclipse390,398 km
Harvest MoonSep 26, 2026Sat, 4:49 PM379,433 km
Hunter's MoonOct 26, 2026Mon, 4:11 AM368,871 km
NextBeaver MoonNov 24, 2026Tue, 2:53 PMSupermoon360,768 km
Cold MoonDec 24, 2026Thu, 1:28 AMSupermoon356,740 km
Wolf MoonJan 22, 2027Fri, 12:17 PMSupermoon357,644 km
Snow MoonFeb 20, 2027Sat, 11:23 PMPenumbral lunar eclipse363,306 km
Worm MoonMar 22, 2027Mon, 10:43 AM372,525 km
Pink MoonApr 20, 2027Tue, 10:27 PM383,426 km
Flower MoonMay 20, 2027Thu, 10:58 AM393,901 km
Strawberry MoonJun 19, 2027Sat, 12:44 AM401,951 km
Buck MoonJul 18, 2027Sun, 3:44 PM405,973 km
Sturgeon MoonAug 17, 2027Tue, 7:28 AMPenumbral lunar eclipse405,078 km
Harvest MoonSep 15, 2027Wed, 11:03 PM399,356 km
Hunter's MoonOct 15, 2027Fri, 1:47 PM389,937 km
Beaver MoonNov 14, 2027Sun, 3:25 AM378,761 km
Cold MoonDec 13, 2027Mon, 4:08 PM368,139 km

Every full moon, in your calendar

Three questions about the moon.

Why does the full moon rise at sunset?
A full moon sits opposite the sun, so it comes up in the east as the sun goes down in the west and stays up all night. Each night after, it rises about fifty minutes later.
Is the phase the same everywhere on Earth?
Yes: the phase is a fact about the moon and the sun, not about you. What changes with your place is the clock time, when the moon rises and sets, and where it stands.
What is a supermoon?
A full moon near the closest point of the moon’s slightly oval orbit, nearer than about 363,000 km. It looks about seven percent wider than an average full moon.

The moon, on your wrist.

Sol for iPhone and Apple Watch is coming soon, with tonight’s moon, its rise and set, and the Sky tab’s view of where it stands. Leave your address for early access and one email when it ships.

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