Moon Photography Conditions by City
A moon shot needs three things to line up: a phase worth photographing, the moon high enough above the horizon, and a sky clear enough to see it. Pick a destination below for tonight's phase, illumination percentage, moonrise and moonset in local time, and the peak altitude window.
Each city page scores those factors together and tells you which night this week is the strongest, rather than leaving you to reconcile an almanac with a cloud forecast.
The three variables that make or break a moon shot
Phase decides how much texture you get: a full moon is bright but flat, while a gibbous or quarter moon throws shadows along the terminator and shows crater relief. Altitude decides how much atmosphere you shoot through — below about 15° the image softens and warms noticeably. Cloud decides whether any of it matters. Each destination page resolves all three for tonight and the coming nights.
Timing a moon that lines up with the landscape
A moon high in an empty sky is a technical exercise; a moon low behind a landmark is a photograph. That means you usually want the hour after moonrise or before moonset, which shifts roughly 50 minutes later each night. The city pages give moonrise, moonset, peak altitude and the compass azimuth window, so you can plan where to stand rather than only when to show up.
Popular destinations
The most-checked cities for this tool. Every one of the 493 supported cities has a primary weather page in the city directory.
Looking for another city?
Open the city directory — every city's primary weather page links straight into this tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best moon phase for photography?
For crater detail, the days around first or last quarter are strongest because the low sun angle on the moon casts long shadows along the terminator. For a moon in a landscape, a rising full or near-full moon at dusk balances best against the remaining ambient light.
What settings should I start with?
For a bright moon, the Looney 11 rule works: aperture f/11, shutter speed of one over the ISO. From there, expose for the moon rather than the sky, and bracket. Focal lengths of 300mm and up are needed for the moon to fill a meaningful part of the frame.
Will I be able to shoot the moon tonight?
Open your destination below. Each page combines tonight's phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset times, peak altitude and the local cloud forecast into a single verdict, and names the best night of the coming week.