The Moon · Thursday 12 November
Tonight’s Moon: waxing crescent, 11% lit.
The Moon is 3.5 days old and growing towards full. In London it rises at 10:59 in the SE and sets at 17:41. It’s already up as the sky gets dark. Next full Moon: Tue 24 Nov.
Moonrise and moonset tonight
| Town | Moonrise | Moonset |
|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | 12:47 Thu · S | 16:01 Thu |
| Kirkwall | 12:32 Thu · SE | 16:31 Thu |
| Inverness | 12:14 Thu · SE | 16:59 Thu |
| Aberdeen | 12:01 Thu · SE | 16:55 Thu |
| Edinburgh | 11:52 Thu · SE | 17:13 Thu |
| Glasgow | 11:55 Thu · SE | 17:19 Thu |
| Belfast | 11:49 Thu · SE | 17:39 Thu |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 11:35 Thu · SE | 17:17 Thu |
| York | 11:23 Thu · SE | 17:25 Thu |
| Manchester | 11:23 Thu · SE | 17:34 Thu |
| Birmingham | 11:14 Thu · SE | 17:41 Thu |
| Norwich | 11:01 Thu · SE | 17:26 Thu |
| Cardiff | 11:11 Thu · SE | 17:54 Thu |
| London | 10:59 Thu · SE | 17:41 Thu |
| Brighton | 10:54 Thu · SE | 17:46 Thu |
| Plymouth | 11:07 Thu · SE | 18:06 Thu |
Times are UK time for a flat horizon, for the night that starts at sunset on Thu 12 Nov. Hills and buildings delay moonrise by a few minutes.
Moon phases coming up
- First quarter: Tue 17 Nov at 11:48
- Full Moon: Tue 24 Nov at 14:54
- Last quarter: Tue 1 Dec at 06:09
- New Moon: Wed 9 Dec at 00:52
See everything in your sky tonight, with cloud →
Questions
Why does the Moon rise at a different time every night?
The Moon moves around its orbit by about 13° a day, so the Earth has to turn a little further each day to bring it back into view. On average moonrise comes about 50 minutes later each day, though in autumn and spring the gap can be much shorter or longer.
Can I see the Moon in the daytime?
Yes, often. Around first quarter it’s up in the afternoon, and around last quarter it’s up in the morning. Only near new Moon is it lost in the Sun’s glare.
When is the best time to look at the Moon with binoculars?
Not at full Moon. Craters and mountains stand out best along the line between light and dark, so a crescent or half Moon shows far more detail than a full one.
What is the percentage lit?
It’s the fraction of the Moon’s face, as seen from Earth, that is in sunlight. 0% is new Moon and 100% is full Moon.