The moon rises in the east and sets in the west, just like the sun. However, the moon does not rise and set at the same time each day. Instead, its rising and setting times change gradually throughout the month. This is because the moon's orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but an ellipse. As a result, the moon's distance from the Earth varies throughout the month. When the moon is closest to the Earth, it rises and sets more quickly. When it is furthest from the Earth, it rises and sets more slowly.