Moonrise and moonset

A full moon sinking behind San Gorgonio Mountain, California, on a midsummer morning

Moonrise and moonset are times when the upper limb of the Moon appears above the horizon and disappears below it, respectively. The exact times depend on the lunar phase and declination, as well as the observer's location. As viewed from outside the polar circles, the Moon, like all other celestial objects outside the circumpolar circle, rises from the eastern half of the horizon and sets into the western half[1] due to Earth's rotation.[2]

  1. ^ "Does the Moon rise and set as the Sun rises in the east and..." Old Farmer's Almanac. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  2. ^ "Why does the Sun rise in the east and set in the west?". starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov. Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 2021-06-02.