Planning with the Moon
For astrophotography — shooting the Milky Way, meteor showers, or deep sky objects — you want the darkest sky possible. That means shooting during or near a new moon, when lunar illumination is minimal.
For moon photography — dramatic moonrises over landmarks, detailed lunar surface shots — a full or nearly full moon is ideal. The days around full moon offer the brightest, most photogenic lunar disc.
The rating system: our 1–5 astrophotography rating considers lunar illumination and the hours of true darkness (no moon, no twilight) available that night. A rating of 5 means excellent conditions with minimal moon interference. A rating of 1 means the moon is up most of the night.
Moonrise planning
The most dramatic moon shots happen when a large moon rises or sets on the horizon, aligned with a landmark. The azimuth (compass direction) of moonrise changes significantly from night to night — much more than sunrise. Use the azimuth data to plan exactly where the moon will appear on your horizon.