moonrise

Moonrise is the moment when the Moon becomes visible above the eastern horizon as it rises into the sky. It is a predictable phase of the Moon's 27.3–29.5 day cycle and varies with the observer's longitude and season. The exact time of moonrise is influenced by the Moon's orbital motion and the tilt of the Earth, and it shifts roughly by about 50 minutes later each day. Local topography and atmospheric refraction can affect when the Moon first appears above the horizon.

In culture and media, Moonrise has been used as a title for various works and as a motif. Notably, Moonrise is the title of a 1948 American drama film directed by Frank Borzage. The term is also associated with Ansel Adams's famous 1941 photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, which depicts a moonlit landscape with a church and crosses near Hernandez, New Mexico, and is widely celebrated for its composition and tonal range.

Other uses of Moonrise occur in music, literature, and art, generally as a poetic reference to lunar imagery. The term can appear in album or track titles, novel names, or painting titles, reflecting the Moon’s prominence in cultural imagination.