Quick answer: The moon is 67 % illuminated tonight (waxing gibbous) as seen from Boulder. Illumination is identical worldwide; what differs locally is moonrise timing, altitude in Boulder's sky and cloud cover.
Conditions on this page are recalculated from the latest forecast every time it is opened, for the current date in the location's own time zone. Showing .
Astrophotographers and night-sky photographers in Boulder, USA can use this page to plan tonight's moon shoot. We show the current moon phase, illumination percentage, moonrise and moonset times in Boulder's local timezone, plus a cloud-cover and visibility forecast so you can decide whether tonight is worth setting up a tripod. Illumination is calculated globally — every location sees the same percentage at the same moment — but visibility, moon altitude and timing are unique to Boulder. The page also lists the next 7 nights with a moon photography score that weights cloud cover, moon altitude, phase and atmospheric clarity, so you can spot the best upcoming opportunity for full-moon, crescent or supermoon photography in Boulder. Use it together with our golden hour and blue hour pages to plan complete dusk-to-night photography sessions.
Tonight the moon is a waxing gibbous at about 67 % illumination. From Boulder at 40.0° N, the practical questions are when it clears the horizon, how high it climbs, and whether cloud cover intervenes — the live panel above answers all three in local time.
Daylight, midday sun angle and golden-hour length below are calculated for Boulder's own coordinates (40.02° N, 105.27° W) on the 15th of each month.
| Month | Daylight | Sun at solar noon | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9 h 36 min | 29° | 60 min |
| February | 10 h 36 min | 37° | 55 min |
| March | 11 h 48 min | 47° | 52 min |
| April | 13 h 12 min | 59° | 53 min |
| May | 14 h 24 min | 69° | 57 min |
| June | 15 h 0 min | 73° | 61 min |
| July | 14 h 42 min | 72° | 59 min |
| August | 13 h 42 min | 64° | 55 min |
| September | 12 h 24 min | 52° | 52 min |
| October | 11 h 6 min | 40° | 54 min |
| November | 9 h 54 min | 31° | 58 min |
| December | 9 h 18 min | 27° | 62 min |
Scores are capped by dealbreakers — heavy rain, dangerous wind, thick fog or hazardous UV pull a day down no matter how pleasant the rest of the numbers look. Forecast data is Open-Meteo; solar and lunar values are computed for Boulder's own coordinates and time zone. Full details on the methodology page.