Milky Way Shooting When Moon is Almost Full

[personalt]

I had a question about shooting Milky Way during a fairly full moon. I am going to Florida in 10 days (Naples) and would like to try and shoot the Milky Way. Moon is big this week so not optimal but this is when my trip is. Moon is 87% full as per photo pills. There appears to be really dark skies about 45 minutes to the east, assuming I can find an alligator safe area to shoot in.

On the first day I think I have the best chance as the moon is the farthest west on those nights and therefore furthest from the Milky Way. In stellarium the moon is all the way the right(west) in this frame below. With an almost full moon should I be able to shoot the milky way at all or will it be all washed out?

If not, I wonder if a have a window near sunrise. Using photo pills, It appears that the moon sets at 4:59am and astronomical twilight as at 5:39am. Does this mean I would have a 40 minute window where I should have dark sky?

 

[wfooshee]

Depends on humidity, mostly. That atmospheric haze is thick when it's muggy, and spreads the moonlight all around the sky. if you get clear skies and low humidity, it's probably doable.

 

[Watchful]

High elevations are best.

 

[KmH]

Florida doesn't have any high elevations.

Does this mean I would have a 40 minute window where I should have dark sky?

Sort of.
Naples and surrounds have light pollution about as bad as it gets.
DarkSiteFinder.com - Light Pollution Map

You need to tell Stellarium you're going to have at best Bortle 8 light pollution (naked eye limiting magnitude (NELM) of 4) so Stellarium can show you a more accurate representation of what the sky will look like from Naples, FL. F4>Sky>Stars>Limit Magnitude - set to 4.0
People can't see the Milky Way with their naked eye in Bortle 8 skies.

You'll also want to check both applications use licensing you agreed to abide by to make sure it is OK to be posting screen shots of their programs online.

 

[table1349]

High elevations are best.

Well there you have it, you need to go to Britton Hill Florida then. It is whopping 345 feet above sea level. Highest place in Florida. That ought to give you optimum elevation. And it's only 573 miles away from where you will be.

 

[Didereaux]

Well, the first thing is that you are barely going to get a chance at a MW shot. The Milky Way is best seen from about may to Sep. So you might be better off doing some research, or asking someone with a little astronomy knowledge what else might best be seen at the when and where that you will be. (no don't ask) One thing is for certain the high humidity and low altitude of Florida will block out 75% of the stars anyways unless you happen to catch a blue norther.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I'm not an expert in astro-photography, but isn't there a dynamic range issue here? The moon is very bright, even in Scotland on a very clear night you will only see the very brightest stars with a full moon with the naked eye. With a camera the full moon (in my black book) is 125/sec f5.6 100ISO and the milky way is nearer 20/sec f2.8 ISO3200, about an 18 stop difference in exposure.

 

[petrochemist]

I'm not an expert in astro-photography, but isn't there a dynamic range issue here? The moon is very bright, even in Scotland on a very clear night you will only see the very brightest stars with a full moon with the naked eye. With a camera the full moon (in my black book) is 125/sec f5.6 100ISO and the milky way is nearer 20/sec f2.8 ISO3200, about an 18 stop difference in exposure.

It's not so much dynamic range as scattered moonlight, lighting the whole sky when the moon's up. If it was just dynamic range it would be easy to overexpose the moon.
I expect the conflicting requirements of Moon & Stars is why the OP was talking about moon rise...

 

[Tim Tucker]

It's not so much dynamic range as scattered moonlight, lighting the whole sky when the moon's up. If it was just dynamic range it would be easy to overexpose the moon.
I expect the conflicting requirements of Moon & Stars is why the OP was talking about moon rise...

I see, I understand what the OP was asking now.

 

[personalt]

Florida doesn't have any high elevations.

Does this mean I would have a 40 minute window where I should have dark sky?

Sort of.
Naples and surrounds have light pollution about as bad as it gets.
DarkSiteFinder.com - Light Pollution Map

You need to tell Stellarium you're going to have at best Bortle 8 light pollution (naked eye limiting magnitude (NELM) of 4) so Stellarium can show you a more accurate representation of what the sky will look like from Naples, FL. F4>Sky>Stars>Limit Magnitude - set to 4.0
People can't see the Milky Way with their naked eye in Bortle 8 skies..

Good point, I did plan to drive outside of naples. I was using that as a general reference to where I was going.. . about 35-40 minutes east is everglades and really dark skys. My big concern with location is that this the area mostly seems to be a panther preserve. I

 

[personalt]

I'm not an expert in astro-photography, but isn't there a dynamic range issue here? The moon is very bright, even in Scotland on a very clear night you will only see the very brightest stars with a full moon with the naked eye. With a camera the full moon (in my black book) is 125/sec f5.6 100ISO and the milky way is nearer 20/sec f2.8 ISO3200, about an 18 stop difference in exposure.

Lots of good points be all above.. I do believe the moon is gong to block everything out. This is why i was asking about the time around 4:59am to 5:39am when the moon has set but sun is still below 18 degrees. It should still be dark for that small amount of time.

What really sucks is this is the setup only for the 1st day.... During the rest of my trip that 40 minute window shrinks to nothing(moon basically doesnt set until sun has already risen). And the moon moves more south and gets a lot closer to the core(ie in the way more)


I think I understand photo pills but it is my first time using it. Florida moisture is not something I really thought about. The other thing I am struggling with is a place to shoot.. Did some google map search and the area I was looking to shoot has "Panther Crossing" signs. So I need to find a place where my risk of getting eating is lowered.

I will have to recheck sterullium to see how high in sky MW is as I get closer to 5am..... As others have mentioned I dont benefit from high elevation. And since I would be shooting south I will likely at least be shooting over some mangrove trees or similar

 

[Didereaux]

Well, wasn't going to do this, but. Here is the link that will get you EXACTLY the information you need.
Dark-Sky Site Directory: Florida


...and by the way it isn't panthers or cougars that will get you down there....it's the gators!

 

[table1349]

High elevations are best.

I'm not an expert in astro-photography, but isn't there a dynamic range issue here? The moon is very bright, even in Scotland on a very clear night you will only see the very brightest stars with a full moon with the naked eye. With a camera the full moon (in my black book) is 125/sec f5.6 100ISO and the milky way is nearer 20/sec f2.8 ISO3200, about an 18 stop difference in exposure.

Lots of good points be all above.. I do believe the moon is gong to block everything out. This is why i was asking about the time around 4:59am to 5:39am when the moon has set but sun is still below 18 degrees. It should still be dark for that small amount of time.

What really sucks is this is the setup only for the 1st day.... During the rest of my trip that 40 minute window shrinks to nothing(moon basically doesnt set until sun has already risen). And the moon moves more south and gets a lot closer to the core(ie in the way more)


I think I understand photo pills but it is my first time using it. Florida moisture is not something I really thought about. The other thing I am struggling with is a place to shoot.. Did some google map search and the area I was looking to shoot has "Panther Crossing" signs. So I need to find a place where my risk of getting eating is lowered.

I will have to recheck sterullium to see how high in sky MW is as I get closer to 5am..... As others have mentioned I dont benefit from high elevation. And since I would be shooting south I will likely at least be shooting over some mangrove trees or similar

There is no known panther attack on humans in Florida. Gators on the other hand are active and do feed at night. They are the critter you have to worry about. When we go to Florida we always rent a vehicle. If I was planning to do what your planning I think we would rent a pickup. Set my tripod up in the bed and keep myself off the ground. From their vantage point we probably look like juicy oversized frog legs.

 

[KmH]

Florida doesn't have any high elevations.

Does this mean I would have a 40 minute window where I should have dark sky?

Sort of.
Naples and surrounds have light pollution about as bad as it gets.
DarkSiteFinder.com - Light Pollution Map

You need to tell Stellarium you're going to have at best Bortle 8 light pollution (naked eye limiting magnitude (NELM) of 4) so Stellarium can show you a more accurate representation of what the sky will look like from Naples, FL. F4>Sky>Stars>Limit Magnitude - set to 4.0
People can't see the Milky Way with their naked eye in Bortle 8 skies..

Good point, I did plan to drive outside of naples. I was using that as a general reference to where I was going.. . about 35-40 minutes east is everglades and really dark skys.

Few people today know what 'really dark' sky looks like.
The closest Bortle 2, truly dark site to Naples that is on the mainland is the Dale Bumpers White River Wildlife Refuge just east of Tichnor, Alabama.

From where I'm at in Iowa I have to drive 2.5 hours to get to the Bortle 2 site closest to me.
From where I'm at in Iowa I have to drive 7.5 hours to Nebraska to get to the Bortle 1 site closest to me.

The closest Bortle 1 site to Naples, FL looks to be just west of Langtry, TX.

 

[petrochemist]

From where I'm at in Iowa I have to drive 2.5 hours to get to the Bortle 2 site closest to me.

From where I'm at in Iowa I have to drive 7.5 hours to Nebraska to get to the Bortle 1 site closest to me.
The closest Bortle 1 site to Naples, FL looks to be just west of Langtry, TX.

Consider yourself very lucky. I'd say my location is semi rural by British standards, but I'd have to drive for over an hour to reach a Bortle 5 site, and I think on the mainland it's only the very north of Scotland that gets as low as Bortle 2. (Probably a 12+ hour drive from here)