Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered, “Where Is The Moon Tonight?” The Moon, Earth’s celestial companion, is a captivating sight, constantly changing its appearance and position in our sky. This guide will tell you exactly where to find the Moon tonight and provide fascinating details about its current state and upcoming lunar events.
Currently, the Moon is above the horizon. For Greenwich, UK, the Moonrise was at 7:14 AM, it will transit at 1:29 PM, and set at 8:03 PM. It’s positioned at an altitude of 13.73° and an azimuth of 109.35°, placing it in the East-South-East direction.
The Moon is not just a beautiful object in the night sky; it’s a world of its own. As Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest in our solar system, it boasts a diameter of 3,474 kilometers and a mass approximately 1/81st that of Earth. Its surface, a stark contrast to our planet, is a tapestry of craters, mountains, and vast plains, the most prominent being the Imbrium Basin. Lacking both atmosphere and a magnetic field, the Moon is directly exposed to the harshness of solar wind and cosmic rays. A lunar day, equivalent to its orbit around Earth, spans 29.5 Earth days.
Humans have long been drawn to the Moon. It became the first celestial body humans set foot on during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Since then, numerous missions have explored its geology, surface features, and the potential it holds for future exploration and even colonization.
Don’t Miss the Upcoming Total Lunar Eclipse on March 14, 2025
Mark your calendars! A spectacular total lunar eclipse is approaching, starting in just 12 days, 19 hours, and 0 minutes from now. This celestial event will be visible from the Pacific region, the Americas, western Europe, and western Africa.
Animated image of the upcoming total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025, visible from various regions.
Here are the key contact times for the eclipse in the Europe/London timezone:
- Mar 14, 03:57:09 – Penumbral Eclipse Begins
- Mar 14, 05:09:22 – Partial Eclipse Begins
- Mar 14, 06:25:57 – Total Eclipse Begins
- Mar 14, 06:58:44 – Maximum Eclipse
- Mar 14, 07:32:01 – Total Eclipse Ends
- Mar 14, 08:48:18 – Partial Eclipse Ends
- Mar 14, 10:00:31 – Penumbral Eclipse Ends
(Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, www.EclipseWise.com)
Observing the Moon Tonight
Tonight, the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, situated in the constellation of Pisces. It’s currently about 362,185.0 kilometers away from Earth. Its Right Ascension is 23h 59m 53s and Declination is -00° 50’ 51”, with a magnitude of -6.01 (data courtesy of JPL Horizons).
The images below provide a realistic depiction of the Moon’s current appearance, emphasizing the features along its terminator – the line separating the day and night sides.
The Moon is currently in the Waxing Crescent phase, and is approximately 1.71 days into its cycle since the New Moon. If you want to see its position in the sky, you can View Moon Position in the Sky. (Image credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio)
Finder Charts to Locate the Moon
To help you pinpoint the Moon in the night sky, here are finder charts.
Map showing The Moon in Pisces on March 01, 2025. Field of view: 50×30 degrees. View interactive star map
Sky map showing The Moon in Pisces on March 01, 2025. Field of view: 15×9 degrees. View in interactive sky chart
For more comprehensive information on locating the Moon, visit our page Where is The Moon?, which provides all the details and sky charts you need.
Celestial Coordinates: Apparent and J2000
Understanding celestial coordinates can further help you locate the Moon and other objects in the sky. Here’s a breakdown of the Moon’s coordinates:
Apparent Coordinates (Current Position)
- Right Ascension: 23h 59m 53s
- Declination: -00° 50’ 51”
J2000 Coordinates (Standard Epoch)
- Right Ascension: 23h 58m 35s
- Declination: -00° 59’ 16”
These coordinates are essential for precise location in the celestial sphere.
Key Details at a Glance
- Constellation: Pisces
- Magnitude: -6.01 (Brightness)
Moonrise, Transit, and Moonset Times
Here are today’s Moonrise, transit (highest point in the sky), and Moonset times for Greenwich, UK (Europe/London timezone):
- Moonrise: 7:14 AM
- Transit: 1:29 PM (Max altitude: 39.0°, Azimuth: 180.0°)
- Moonset: 8:03 PM
Currently, the Moon is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK, positioned East-South-East at 13.73° altitude. Explore our interactive sky chart for a visual representation.
For frequent sky observations, create a customized Quick Access page to bookmark and easily access this information.
Distance from Earth
The Moon’s current distance from Earth is 362,185.0 kilometers, or 0.0024210572 Astronomical Units (AU). Light from the Moon takes approximately 1.208 seconds to reach us.
Chart of the distance of The Moon from Earth in Astronomical Units (au)
While these distances are generally accurate, slight inaccuracies can occur during close approaches of objects to Earth.
Closest Approach to Earth
Looking far into the future, the closest approach of the Moon to Earth between 1 January 1600 and 30 December 2499 will occur on Wednesday, January 13, 2275, at a distance of 356,377 kilometers (0.002382 AU).
- Wed Jan 13 2275
- Distance: 356,377 km
- Distance: 0.002382 AU
(Note: Closest approach values are computed with a 1-day sampling interval.)
Light Curve of the Moon
The following chart displays the predicted light curve of the Moon, showing its visual magnitude over time.
Chart of the magnitude of The Moon as a function of time
(Magnitude data sampled at 2-day intervals. May be less accurate for objects with rapid brightness changes.)
Physical Characteristics of the Moon
Here are some key physical parameters of the Moon, compared to Earth:
| Physical Parameter | Value | Relative to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 3474.2 km | 0.2727 |
| Mass | 0.07342 x 10^24 kg | 0.0123 |
| Density | 3.344 gr/cm3 | 0.6065 |
| Escape Velocity | 2.38 km/s | 0.2127 |
| Sideral Rotation | 655.7199 hours | 27.3965 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -12.6 | |
| Geometric Albedo | 0.136 |
(Source: JPL Small-Body Database)
15-Day Moon Ephemeris
This table provides the ephemeris data for the Moon over the past and next 7 days, updated daily.
| Date | Right Ascension (R.A.) | Declination (Dec.) | Magnitude (Mag) | Apparent Diameter | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Feb 22 | 17h 03m 31s | -28° 53’ 00” | -9.51 | 1,812.5” | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Feb 23 | 18h 01m 00s | -29° 34’ 33” | -8.99 | 1,836.0” | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Feb 24 | 19h 00m 10s | -28° 42’ 52” | -8.37 | 1,863.0” | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Feb 25 | 19h 59m 27s | -26° 13’ 51” | -7.61 | 1,891.8” | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Feb 26 | 20h 57m 29s | -22° 12’ 03” | -6.67 | 1,920.0” | Capricornus |
| 2025 Feb 27 | 21h 53m 31s | -16° 50’ 33” | -5.51 | 1,945.0” | Capricornus |
| 2025 Feb 28 | 22h 47m 37s | -10° 28’ 48” | -4.18 | 1,964.5” | Aquarius |
| 2025 Mar 01 | 23h 40m 24s | -03° 30’ 31” | -5.45 | 1,976.3” | Pisces |
| 2025 Mar 02 | 00h 32m 50s | +03° 38’ 19” | -6.72 | 1,979.6” | Pisces |
| 2025 Mar 03 | 01h 26m 03s | +10° 31’ 12” | -7.76 | 1,974.6” | Pisces |
| 2025 Mar 04 | 02h 21m 02s | +16° 42’ 12” | -8.61 | 1,962.6” | Aries |
| 2025 Mar 05 | 03h 18m 22s | +21° 47’ 22” | -9.30 | 1,945.5” | Aries |
| 2025 Mar 06 | 04h 18m 02s | +25° 26’ 34” | -9.86 | 1,925.4” | Taurus |
| 2025 Mar 07 | 05h 19m 07s | +27° 26’ 03” | -10.33 | 1,904.1” | Taurus |
Ephemeris Calculator
For detailed calculations of the Moon’s position at any time between January 1, 1600, and December 30, 2499, use our Ephemeris Calculator.
Explore Further Resources
To deepen your understanding of the Moon and space exploration, explore these additional resources: Additional Resources.
By using this guide, you are now equipped to answer the question “Where is the moon tonight?” and delve deeper into the fascinating world of lunar observation! Happy skywatching!
