Cities With the Highest Moon Altitude Right Now
The Moon stands higher in the sky over Rockhampton than almost any other major city right now, about 84.8° above the horizon.
Cities with at least 50,000 residents; 100 cities shown.
Top Cities Ranked by Moon altitude
| # | City | Country | Moonrise | Moonset | Moon altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Rockhampton | Australia | 10:43 | - | 84.8° |
| 🥈 | Mackay | Australia | 10:54 | - | 84.7° |
| 🥉 | Townsville | Australia | 11:08 | 00:03 | 84.2° |
| 4 | Bundaberg | Australia | 10:32 | - | 83.3° |
| 5 | Toowoomba | Australia | 10:27 | 00:03 | 83.2° |
| 6 | Hervey Bay | Australia | 10:29 | - | 82.9° |
| 7 | Brisbane | Australia | 10:22 | - | 82.3° |
| 8 | Logan City | Australia | 10:22 | - | 82.2° |
| 9 | Cairns | Australia | 11:17 | 00:02 | 82.1° |
| 10 | Gold Coast | Australia | 10:19 | - | 81.8° |
| 11 | Maitland | Australia | 11:14 | 01:19 | 80.2° |
| 12 | Sydney | Australia | 11:12 | 01:24 | 79.5° |
| 13 | Wollongong | Australia | 11:12 | 01:27 | 79.1° |
| 14 | Canberra | Australia | 11:16 | 01:37 | 79.0° |
| 15 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | 11:31 | 01:49 | 78.6° |
| =16 | Adelaide | Australia | 11:31 | 01:49 | 78.5° |
| =16 | Shepparton | Australia | 11:28 | 01:56 | 78.5° |
| 17 | Bendigo | Australia | 11:32 | 02:02 | 78.1° |
| =18 | Craigieburn | Australia | 11:26 | 02:02 | 77.2° |
| =18 | Ballarat | Australia | 11:31 | 02:07 | 77.2° |
| 19 | Reservoir | Australia | 11:25 | 02:03 | 77.1° |
| =20 | Melbourne | Australia | 11:25 | 02:03 | 77.0° |
| =20 | Melbourne City Centre | Australia | 11:25 | 02:03 | 77.0° |
| =20 | Tarneit | Australia | 11:26 | 02:04 | 77.0° |
| =21 | Werribee | Australia | 11:26 | 02:05 | 76.9° |
| =21 | Point Cook | Australia | 11:26 | 02:04 | 76.9° |
| =22 | Berwick | Australia | 11:23 | 02:02 | 76.8° |
| =22 | Pakenham | Australia | 11:22 | 02:02 | 76.8° |
| 23 | Geelong | Australia | 11:27 | 02:07 | 76.7° |
| 24 | Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | 11:27 | - | 74.5° |
| 25 | Launceston | Australia | 11:03 | 02:08 | 73.3° |
| 26 | Merauke | Indonesia | 10:57 | 23:53 | 73.1° |
| 27 | Hobart | Australia | - | 02:13 | 71.9° |
| =28 | Lae | Papua New Guinea | 11:34 | - | 71.8° |
| =28 | Darwin | Australia | 11:59 | 00:24 | 71.8° |
| 29 | Noumea | New Caledonia | - | - | 70.2° |
| 30 | Honiara | Solomon Islands | 11:35 | - | 69.0° |
| 31 | Tual | Indonesia | 11:35 | - | 67.5° |
| 32 | Abepura | Indonesia | 11:08 | 23:41 | 67.4° |
| 33 | Jayapura | Indonesia | 11:08 | 23:41 | 67.3° |
| 34 | Dili | Timor-Leste | 11:59 | 00:07 | 65.3° |
| 35 | Atambua | Indonesia | 11:00 | 23:58 | 65.2° |
| 36 | Kupang | Indonesia | 11:04 | - | 64.9° |
| 37 | Manokwari | Indonesia | 11:39 | - | 63.8° |
| 38 | Perth | Australia | 10:45 | 00:44 | 63.5° |
| 39 | Ambon | Indonesia | 11:58 | - | 63.4° |
| 40 | Mandurah | Australia | 10:44 | 00:46 | 63.3° |
| 41 | Bunbury | Australia | 10:42 | 00:49 | 63.1° |
| 42 | Maumere | Indonesia | 11:12 | - | 62.9° |
| =43 | Ende | Indonesia | 11:14 | - | 62.6° |
| =43 | Sorong | Indonesia | 11:50 | - | 62.6° |
| =43 | Whangarei | New Zealand | 11:30 | 01:55 | 62.6° |
| =44 | North Shore | New Zealand | 11:25 | 01:57 | 61.9° |
| =44 | Auckland | New Zealand | 11:24 | 01:57 | 61.9° |
| 45 | Manukau City | New Zealand | 11:23 | 01:57 | 61.8° |
| 46 | New Plymouth | New Zealand | 11:20 | 02:08 | 61.7° |
| 47 | Invercargill | New Zealand | 11:13 | 03:03 | 61.5° |
| 48 | Nelson | New Zealand | 11:15 | 02:20 | 61.4° |
| 49 | Baubau | Indonesia | 11:17 | - | 61.1° |
| 50 | Labuan Bajo | Indonesia | 11:22 | - | 61.0° |
| =51 | Raha | Indonesia | 11:18 | 23:59 | 60.7° |
| =51 | Christchurch | New Zealand | 11:08 | 02:32 | 60.7° |
| =51 | Dunedin | New Zealand | 11:06 | 02:51 | 60.7° |
| 52 | Tauranga | New Zealand | 11:16 | 01:54 | 60.6° |
| =53 | Rotorua | New Zealand | 11:14 | 01:55 | 60.4° |
| =53 | Porirua | New Zealand | 11:09 | 02:12 | 60.4° |
| =54 | Wellington | New Zealand | 11:08 | 02:13 | 60.3° |
| =54 | Lower Hutt | New Zealand | 11:08 | 02:13 | 60.3° |
| =55 | Palmerston North | New Zealand | 11:08 | 02:06 | 60.1° |
| =55 | Bima | Indonesia | 11:27 | - | 60.1° |
| 56 | Kendari | Indonesia | 11:20 | 23:58 | 60.0° |
| 57 | Dompu | Indonesia | 11:28 | - | 59.9° |
| 58 | Napier | New Zealand | 11:06 | 01:58 | 59.5° |
| 59 | Ternate | Indonesia | 12:10 | - | 59.2° |
| =60 | Sumbawa Besar | Indonesia | 11:33 | - | 59.0° |
| =60 | Lautoka | Fiji | 11:05 | - | 59.0° |
| 61 | Watampone | Indonesia | 11:28 | - | 58.8° |
| 62 | Taliwang | Indonesia | 11:34 | - | 58.7° |
| 63 | Galesong | Indonesia | 11:31 | - | 58.6° |
| 64 | Makassar | Indonesia | 11:31 | - | 58.5° |
| 65 | Selong | Indonesia | 11:36 | - | 58.4° |
| =66 | Sengkang | Indonesia | 11:30 | - | 58.3° |
| =66 | Suva | Fiji | 10:59 | - | 58.3° |
| 67 | Nasinu | Fiji | 10:59 | - | 58.2° |
| 68 | Mataram | Indonesia | 11:38 | - | 58.0° |
| 69 | Parepare | Indonesia | 11:32 | - | 57.9° |
| 70 | Palopo | Indonesia | 11:32 | - | 57.6° |
| 71 | Bitung | Indonesia | 11:20 | 23:38 | 57.4° |
| =72 | Denpasar | Indonesia | 11:41 | - | 57.3° |
| =72 | Polewali | Indonesia | 11:35 | - | 57.3° |
| =72 | Ubud | Indonesia | 11:41 | - | 57.3° |
| 73 | Manado | Indonesia | 11:21 | 23:39 | 57.2° |
| 74 | Majene | Indonesia | 11:36 | - | 57.1° |
| =75 | Singaraja | Indonesia | 11:43 | - | 56.9° |
| =75 | Gorontalo | Indonesia | 11:27 | 23:48 | 56.9° |
| 76 | Muncar | Indonesia | 10:45 | 23:40 | 56.5° |
| 77 | Banyuwangi | Indonesia | 10:46 | 23:40 | 56.4° |
| 78 | Genteng | Indonesia | 10:46 | 23:41 | 56.3° |
| 79 | Palu | Indonesia | 11:37 | - | 55.9° |
| 80 | Situbondo | Indonesia | 10:48 | 23:40 | 55.8° |
Methodology: Calculated from city coordinates, local IANA time zones and the Moon's astronomical position; terrain and weather are not included.
Why Does Moon Altitude Vary by City?
At any given moment the Moon is above the horizon for roughly half the planet, but it sits highest in the sky where it is closest to overhead. The cities at the top of this list have the Moon near its zenith right now, the best position for clear viewing, free of the haze and obstructions near the horizon. This is recomputed continuously from the Moon's current position.
Because the Moon moves quickly against the sky, this ranking changes from hour to hour as the Earth turns. Right now the Moon rides highest over Rockhampton, about 84.8° above the horizon.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cities With the Highest Moon Altitude Right Now
Where is the Moon highest right now?
Among major cities, the Moon is highest over Rockhampton right now, about 84.8° above the horizon (as of October 18, 2026).
Why is the Moon higher in some cities than others?
Because the Moon is only overhead for one part of the Earth at a time. Cities where it is near the zenith see it high in the sky, while elsewhere it sits low or below the horizon.
Is a higher Moon better for viewing?
Generally yes. When the Moon is high it shines through less atmosphere, so it looks clearer and brighter and is easier to see and photograph than near the horizon.