The Moon generally rises in the eastern half of the horizon and sets in the western half, similar to the Sun, due to Earth's eastward rotation. However, the exact direction of moonrise varies depending on the Moon's phase, the time of year, and the observer's location on Earth.
- Typically, the Moon rises roughly in the east, but this can shift to east-northeast or east-southeast depending on the season and lunar position
- Around the full moon phase, the Moon rises close to due east and sets close to due west, especially near the equinoxes, because the full Moon is roughly opposite the Sun in the sky
- In the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon often rises in the east-southeast and moves across the southern sky, setting in the west-southwest. In the Southern Hemisphere, it tends to rise in the east-northeast and set in the west-northwest
- The Moon rises about 30 to 70 minutes later each day, which also causes its rising position to shift gradually along the horizon over the lunar month
In summary, while the Moon always rises somewhere in the eastern half of the horizon, the precise azimuth of moonrise shifts seasonally and with lunar phase, ranging from east-northeast to east-southeast, with due east being common near full moon and equinoxes.
