Next Supermoon 2026 – Dates, Times & Viewing Guide
When is the next supermoon? Complete calendar of supermoon dates with moonrise times, photography tips, and viewing guide for your city.
Christmas Eve 2026 in the sky: when does the first star appear?
On Christmas Eve 2026 the sun sets in New York at 16:33. The first star shows around 16:46 EST, when the sun is 3° below the horizon: Vega in the west, 40° up, then Capella in the northeast. At 17:14 the moon, 99% lit, rises in the northeast.
The moon is full on 23 December at 20:28 EST. Just under 357,000 km away, it is the closest full moon of the year, 7.9% larger and 16.5% brighter than a full moon at average distance.
25 cities, local time on 24 December 2026. Direction and height above the horizon; each city links to its own page.
| City | Sunset | First stars from | Brightest points | Moonrise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 15:55 | 16:12 | Vega W 49° · Capella NE 28° · Saturn SE 33° | 16:07 · NE |
| New York | 16:33 | 16:46 | Vega WNW 40° · Capella NE 26° · Saturn SSE 45° | 17:14 · NE |
| Toronto | 16:45 | 16:59 | Vega WNW 43° · Capella NE 27° · Saturn SE 42° | 17:25 · NE |
| Sydney | 20:06 | 20:18 | Sirius E 19° · Canopus SE 37° · Rigel ENE 33° | 20:36 · ENE |
| Melbourne | 20:43 | 20:56 | Sirius E 22° · Canopus SE 41° · Rigel ENE 35° | 21:16 · NE |
| Los Angeles | 16:49 | 17:01 | Vega WNW 34° · Capella NE 24° · Saturn SSE 53° | 17:44 · ENE |
| Brisbane | 18:43 | 18:54 | Sirius ESE 15° · Canopus SE 30° · Rigel E 31° | 19:10 · ENE |
| Chicago | 16:24 | 16:37 | Vega WNW 41° · Capella NE 26° · Saturn SSE 44° | 17:07 · NE |
| Perth | 19:23 | 19:34 | Sirius E 18° · Canopus SE 35° · Rigel ENE 33° | 19:58 · ENE |
| Houston | 17:28 | 17:39 | Vega WNW 30° · Capella NE 23° · Saturn SSE 58° | 18:20 · ENE |
| Montreal | 16:15 | 16:29 | Vega WNW 44° · Capella NE 27° · Saturn SE 40° | 16:52 · NE |
| Phoenix | 17:26 | 17:37 | Vega WNW 34° · Capella NE 24° · Saturn SSE 54° | 18:19 · ENE |
| Philadelphia | 16:40 | 16:53 | Vega WNW 39° · Capella NE 26° · Saturn SSE 46° | 17:22 · NE |
| San Antonio | 17:41 | 17:52 | Vega WNW 30° · Capella NE 23° · Saturn SSE 58° | 18:34 · ENE |
| Auckland | 20:40 | 20:53 | Sirius E 21° · Canopus SE 40° · Rigel ENE 34° | 21:09 · NE |
| Adelaide | 20:30 | 20:42 | Sirius E 20° · Canopus SE 38° · Rigel ENE 34° | 21:02 · ENE |
| San Diego | 16:48 | 16:59 | Vega WNW 33° · Capella NE 24° · Saturn SSE 54° | 17:43 · ENE |
| Dallas | 17:26 | 17:38 | Vega WNW 33° · Capella NE 24° · Saturn SSE 54° | 18:17 · ENE |
| Calgary | 17:33 | 17:50 | Vega W 49° · Capella NE 28° · Saturn SE 33° | 18:14 · NE |
| Birmingham | 15:57 | 16:14 | Vega W 50° · Capella NE 28° · Saturn SE 31° | 16:08 · NE |
| Dublin | 16:09 | 16:28 | Vega W 51° · Capella NE 28° · Saturn SE 30° | 16:20 · NE |
| Ottawa | 16:24 | 16:38 | Vega WNW 44° · Capella NE 27° · Saturn SE 40° | 17:02 · NE |
| San Jose | 16:55 | 17:07 | Vega WNW 37° · Capella NE 25° · Saturn SSE 49° | 17:49 · ENE |
| Edmonton | 17:17 | 17:36 | Vega W 51° · Capella NE 28° · Saturn SE 30° | 17:55 · NE |
| Austin | 17:36 | 17:47 | Vega WNW 31° · Capella NE 23° · Saturn SSE 57° | 18:28 · ENE |
How we calculate: positions from astronomy-engine for each city, at sea level with a clear horizon. “First stars from” is the moment the sun is 3° below the horizon – about when the brightest stars show in a clear sky. Listed are all stars down to magnitude 1.5 and the planets standing at least 10° high then, brightest first; the moon does not count. Distance from the centre of the Earth to the centre of the moon; average distance 385,000 km.
Moonrise on the supermoon (24 November 2026) in 12 cities
- The full moon rises shortly after sunset – low on the horizon it looks biggest.
- New York: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 16:15 · northeast
- Los Angeles: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 16:42 · east-northeast
- Chicago: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 16:07 · northeast
- Houston: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 17:20 · east-northeast
- Miami: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 17:28 · east-northeast
- Seattle: Evening 23 November · Moonrise 15:21 · northeast
- Denver: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 16:28 · northeast
- Boston: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 15:56 · northeast
- Toronto: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 16:25 · northeast
- London: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 15:17 · northeast
- Manchester: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 15:13 · northeast
- Edinburgh: Evening 24 November · Moonrise 14:57 · northeast
The next supermoons
- 24 November 2026: 360,767 km away – 7% larger and 14% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 23 December 2026: 356,740 km away – 8% larger and 16% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 22 January 2027: 357,645 km away – 8% larger and 16% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 11 January 2028: 360,265 km away – 7% larger and 14% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 10 February 2028: 356,720 km away – 8% larger and 16% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 10 March 2028: 358,074 km away – 8% larger and 16% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 28 February 2029: 359,659 km away – 7% larger and 15% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 29 March 2029: 356,683 km away – 8% larger and 17% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
- 28 April 2029: 358,384 km away – 7% larger and 15% brighter than a full moon at mean distance
What Is a Supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth (perigee). At perigee, the moon is about 363,300 km away, compared to its average distance of 384,400 km.
This makes the moon appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a micromoon, a full moon at its farthest – about 7% larger and 15% brighter than a full moon at average distance. The term 'supermoon' was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
Best Time
The supermoon appears largest near the horizon due to the moon illusion. Watch for moonrise!
Photography
Use a telephoto lens (200mm+) and include foreground elements like buildings or trees for scale.
Binoculars
Even simple binoculars reveal stunning crater details on a supermoon.
Location
Find a spot with a clear eastern horizon for the most dramatic moonrise views.
The Science Behind Supermoons
The moon's orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular but slightly elliptical. This means the distance varies throughout each orbit.
Perigee
At perigee, the moon is ~363,300 km from Earth — about 50,000 km closer than at apogee.
Apparent Size
A supermoon appears up to 14% larger in diameter than a micromoon (full moon at apogee).
Brightness
Supermoons are about 30% brighter than micromoons, illuminating the landscape noticeably more.
Supermoon Photography Tips
Supermoons are a favorite subject for astrophotographers. Here's how to capture the best shots:
Plan your shot with a foreground subject — the moon alone looks small even with a telephoto lens.
Use a tripod and remote shutter release to avoid camera shake at long focal lengths.
Shoot during moonrise when the moon is near the horizon for the 'moon illusion' effect.
Try exposure bracketing — the moon is surprisingly bright and can easily blow out highlights.
The difference is real but small: side by side you would notice it, alone in the sky hardly. Near the horizon every full moon looks bigger – the moon illusion.
Can you see the difference with the naked eye? Side by side, yes – a supermoon is about 14 % larger than a micromoon. Alone in the sky the difference is hard to judge; the moon always looks largest near the horizon.