Moon Simulator
TPE Web’s Moon Simulator packs a wide range of features for photographers. View the Moon as it will appear from any location on any date. Explore phase illumination, lunar surface features, the effects of libration, and more.
Dec 26, 2026 – West Orange, NJ – Waning Gibbous Moon
The interactive simulator below shows the rising Moon over New Jersey and Manhattan, New York, on the eastern coast of North America. Try adjusting the time slider or starting the automatic playback to watch an animated simulation of the Moon, as observed from this location:
You can view the location and time in the TPE Web App using this link.
Moon Photo Planning
If you enjoy photographing the Moon, our simulator gives you a real planning advantage:
- How will the Moon appear in the sky on any date and time, in your planned location?
- How does its appearance change over the course of the day or night due to the parallactic angle?
- How will sky brightness change during the shoot?
- What focal length do you need to achieve a certain size in the frame?
- How large will the Moon appear in the sky?
- How will the Moon appear during a lunar eclipse?
Get answers to all these questions and more from the TPE Web App’s Moon Simulator.
Features
The Moon Simulator accounts for a large number of factors that affect the appearance of the Moon:
- Accurate illumination for the current phase
- Lunar topography correctly oriented to match what you will see
- Optical and topographical libration, which affect which areas of the Moon’s surface are visible
- Rich, detailed lunar texture maps showing both color and surface roughness
- Lunar distance from Earth for an accurate model size
- Observer distance from the Moon – you get closer as the Moon gets higher in the sky
- Animated playback at user-selectable speeds
- Optional labels indicating significant lunar features – so you can become familiar with the Moon’s map
- Multiple coordinate frames for advanced users: zenith up, lunar north up, or celestial north up
Availability
The Moon Simulator is available in the TPE Web App with date-based access restrictions depending on your subscription tier:
- Free: 24-hour lookahead
- Supporter: 5-day lookahead
- PRO: unrestricted
