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Know exactly where the Moon will be

Starglow's Moon map draws moonrise, moonset and the Moon's direction over any spot on Earth. Slide through the day, then hold up your phone to see its path in AR.

Download Starglow on the App Store
Starglow Moon map at Joshua Tree: compass with moonrise, moonset and Moon direction lines, altitude −18.41°, azimuth 249.14°, Moon 37%

A compass for the Moon

Drop the map anywhere and Starglow centres a compass on it.

Cyan line
Where the Moon rises that day.
Indigo line
Where it sets.
White line
Where the Moon is at the slider’s time. It fades while the Moon is below the horizon.
Chips
Altitude, azimuth and illumination, with moonrise and moonset times.

Drag the slider to move through the day and watch the Moon swing round. Try the same thing in your browser with the free Moon direction map.

Through your camera, and in 3D

Switch to AR and Starglow lays the Moon's path over the live camera, with the Moon at its current phase and lit from the Sun's direction. It's the quickest way to check whether that tree will block tonight's moonrise.

With Starglow Pro, the 3D map adds real terrain and buildings, with the Moon at its true size and phase, setting behind ridges and rooftops. Long-press to stand anywhere with Vantage Point.

The Moon on your forecast

Every forecast starts with the Moon: its illumination and rise and set times, then a Moon row that brightens through the hours it's up, right above the cloud forecast, so you can see whether a clear night is also a dark one.

Turn on Moonrise, Moonset, New Moon and Full Moon alerts and Starglow tells you which way to look: “The waxing gibbous (78% lit) rises in the east-southeast at 7:03 PM.”

Starglow forecast header with the Moon at 32%, rising 12:42 PM and setting 10:16 PM, above the hourly Moon row

What each phase means for your night

The phase tells you roughly when the Moon will be in your sky.

  • NewDarkest skies
  • Waxing crescentSets after sunset
  • First quarterDown by midnight
  • Waxing gibbousUp most of the night
  • FullUp all night
  • Waning gibbousRises late evening
  • Last quarterRises around midnight
  • Waning crescentRises before dawn

Chasing the Moon, or hiding from it

What you can see, by moonlight.

Milky Way core
New Moon to a thin crescent.
Galaxies & nebulae
Whenever the Moon is down.
Planets & double stars
Any phase. Moonlight barely matters.
Lunar craters
Near the quarters, when shadows are long along the terminator.
Moonlit landscapes
Gibbous to full.

Get Starglow free on your iPhone

Cloud, the Moon, the ISS and darkness, hour by hour, with alerts when it matters.

Download Starglow on the App Store

Questions

What does the Moon map show?

A compass over the map with three lines: where the Moon rises, where it sets and where it is right now. Chips show its altitude, azimuth and illumination with moonrise and moonset times, and a slider moves through the day. It's free, and there's a web version too.

How does the AR view work?

Point your iPhone at the sky and Starglow draws the Moon's path, with the Moon at its current phase, lit from the Sun's direction. A key explains what you're seeing.

What does the 3D map add?

With Starglow Pro the Map tab gains 3D terrain and buildings, with the Moon in the sky at its true size and phase, so you can see it set behind a ridge or rise between two buildings.

Can Starglow remind me about moonrise or the full Moon?

Yes. Moonrise and Moonset alerts arrive at the lead time you choose (at the event, or 15 minutes to 2 hours before), and New Moon and Full Moon alerts are sent at sunset on the evening of each.

Why does the Moon matter for stargazing?

Moonlight is the brightest natural light pollution there is. A bright Moon washes out the Milky Way, faint galaxies and nebulae. Planets, double stars and the Moon itself are still great targets on moonlit nights.

Where to next

Download Starglow

Check tonight's sky before you head out.

Download Starglow on the App Store

Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch & Apple Vision Pro.