CAN'T SEE THE MOON?
Why is the Moon
missing tonight?
The most common answer is simple: it has not risen yet, or it has already set. The Moon does not rise at the same time every day.
Use rise, set, altitude, and direction before searching the whole sky.
Work from timing to visibility
- It is below your horizon
A crescent can set early; a last-quarter Moon may not rise until around midnight.
- It is close to new Moon
The lit side faces mostly away from Earth and the Moon remains near the Sun.
- Cloud or haze is hiding a faint phase
Thin cloud can erase a crescent while brighter stars remain visible.
- Terrain or buildings block a low Moon
A calculated positive altitude does not guarantee a clear local horizon.
- It was in the daytime sky
The Moon is not limited to night and may set before darkness.
Use the phase as a rough clock
Look west after sunset for a waxing crescent, south in the evening for a first-quarter Moon, and east near sunset for a full Moon. Last-quarter and waning-crescent phases favor the hours after midnight and before sunrise.