Where will the moon rise and set?

JimMcClain · Aug 10, 2014

Last night a friend asked if I was going to try to get a picture of the supermoon. I don't recall the last time I looked at the moon, other than while driving home last week. I looked at the moon last night and couldn't tell where it came from or where it was headed.

So, is there a website that will help me figure out just where the moon will be about 8pm tonight (that's moonrise here in Quincy, CA)? I'd like to be ready for it and get to a location that will help show the relative size of the moon. I tried to find a moon tracking site or a map that shows the moon's trajectory over my area, but was unsuccessful. I did finally find, however, the exact location of "Moon's Restaurant - somewhere in Quincy." :er:

Thanks,

Jim

ristretto · Aug 10, 2014

Full Moon rises in the east i think, around equinoxes it is East. Yes there are websites: search for moon rise/set azymuth - your approx location.

ristretto · Aug 10, 2014

Sun or Moon Altitude/Azimuth Table

e.g moonrise 94 degrees East tonight, California, 1900 local time.

snowbear · Aug 10, 2014

The Photographer's Ephemeris

JimMcClain · Aug 10, 2014

Snowbear, thank you. That is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Now I'm looking forward to taking my first shot at the moon tonight. And to be even more adventurous, I will get up at 5am to try to catch the moonset.

Very much appreciated,

Jim

Niner · Aug 10, 2014

Tonight is the full moon but it has been big for more than a few days. I took these two night ago. About 8;30 in the evening. From my back yard in Mobile Ala. Trying out a new Canon SX50HS with a zoom that gets out to something like 700mm at full 50x. And with the help of a Velbon VGB-3c tripod.

Didereaux · Aug 10, 2014

Do a search fro 'The Photographers Ephemeris' it is free for PC, and absolutely fantastic.

JimMcClain · Aug 10, 2014

Didereaux said:
Do a search fro 'The Photographers Ephemeris' it is free for PC, and absolutely fantastic.

Yes, snowbear already posted about that.

snowbear said:
The Photographer's Ephemeris

KmH · Aug 10, 2014

The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend too.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/366784-photographing-meteor-shower.html

JimMcClain · Aug 10, 2014

Since starting this thread, there have been thunder showers and a gloomy sky. It's only 4:30pm now, so I hope I can still get a good shot at the moon. Or maybe I'll have to settle for a moonset. And there's a couple more days of almost supermoons, so there's still hope.

Jim

TCampbell · Aug 10, 2014

480Sparky got me on to an app named "Sun Surveyor". Somewhere there's a guy who's a couple dollars richer and I blame 480Sparky for that. BTW -- it's a great app.

As for the Perseids... I'm a bit bummed that it (a) coincides with the full moon and (b) the humidity has been especially higher with below average transparency around here. I actually did go out to photograph the full-moon over the eastern horizon... but the haze from the humidity was so thick I couldn't see the moon at all until it was about 8º up (and even then it looked pretty bad). Unfortunately 8º up made it impossible to get a shot including both moon and horizon at the same time unless I dropped the focal length but that would make the moon much smaller -- making the whole shot seem pointless.

I'm thinking the Perseids won't be so great from my location this year.

Arthur53 · Aug 11, 2014

Two shoots I got. Lots of sea mist so not very clear this time of year.
First attempt at posting photos in a thread. Will I get it right?

JimMcClain · Aug 11, 2014

It was disappointing to see thunder clouds and rain during moonrise yesterday evening. I cursed like a sailor at the clouds several times last night. I went out one more time to shake my fist at them around 10:30PM and THERE IT WAS, playing hide and seek with the clouds.

I took a number of pictures, but the moisture in the air and so many clouds made getting a good picture very difficult - not to mention I'd never shot a moon before and hadn't shot anything at night with my new D5300. But I got one I thought was decent.

I got up at 4:30am to go in search of moonset pictures. About 5:15am, I got one and a couple more just before the moon dropped behind the mountain at 6am. I'm hoping your comments will help me and others learn how to get better moon pictures and guide us in development to eke out the best quality.

Thanks, Jim