Moonrise and Moonset
The moments of rising and setting of the upper edge of the Moon (Moonrise and Moonset) Moon have been calculated for Madrid, correcting for parallax, an average value of refraction and ignoring the relief on the horizon. The “Culminación” column also indicates the instant when the center of the lunar disk passes through the Madrid meridian. The absence of the rising, culmination or setting of the Moon on a given day is indicated in the tables with the ** symbol. In order to know the official time, it may be necessary to add one or two hours to the value obtained from the table. In later pages, we explain how to calculate the rising, setting and culmination of the Moon in any other place in Spain.
Moonrise and Moonset in Madrid during the year 2021
Calculation of Moonrise and Moonset in other parts of Spain
In order to know the time of rising or setting of the Moon in another part of Spain, it is necessary to apply two corrections, one due to the different latitude and the other due to the different longitude. It can happen that, after making such corrections, the phenomenon takes place the day before or the day after.
To know the official time, “TO”, it will be necessary to add a third correction, which depends on the time of year: +1h or +2h in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands, 0h or +1h in the Canary Islands.
The correction in longitude always has the same sign, independently from whether it is Moonrise or Moonset: in places located east of Madrid the Moon rises and sets before Madrid; west of Madrid, sunrise and sunset occur later. This correction is given to first approximation by the difference in longitudes, expressed in minutes of time. For province capitals, it may be found in the first of the previous tables.
The correction in latitude depends on the difference in latitudes and the declination of the Moon (indicated in the tables). It may be found in the previous table, for several parallels and every 2º in declination. The parallel 28º corresponds to the Canaries.
Moonrise and Moonset calculation in a province capital
By consulting the tables of rising and setting of the Moon in Madrid and the two previous tables, one makes the simple calculation:
- rising = rising in Madrid + correction for longitude + correction for latitude
- setting = setting in Madrid + longitude correction - latitude correction
Example:determination of the Moon rising and setting in Leon (latitude 42.5º) on February 15, when its average declination is -14º and the official time is winter:
- rising = 0 hours 11 minutes + 8 minutes + (+4 minutes) = 0 hours 23 minutes (Universal Time) = 1 hour 23 minutes (Official Time)
- setting = 11 hours 00 minutes + 8 minutes - (+4 minutes) = 11 hours 4 minutes (Universal Time) = 12 hours 4 minutes (Official Time)
Calculation of the Moon's rising and setting in any place in Spain
At a location of longitude λE (positive east of Greenwich):
- rising = rising in Madrid - 15 minutes - λE + latitude correction
- setting = setting in Madrid - 15 minutes - λE - latitude correction
The moments of Moonrise and Moonset determined with this procedure are approximate, and may have errors of a few minutes due to simplifications in the calculations and variable atmospheric conditions.