Moon Phase Calculator
Find moon phase for night photography planning
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Moon Phases
Moon Phase — Exposure and Planning Notes
The moon needs its own exposure — Looney 11
The moon is a sunlit object in space — it follows the Sunny 16 rule. Start with Looney 11: f/11 at 1/(ISO) seconds (ISO 400 gives 1/400 s at f/11). Most night landscape shots expose for the foreground, burning the moon into a featureless white disk. If lunar surface detail matters, expose for the moon separately and composite; you cannot correctly expose both a dark foreground and the moon in one frame.
Phase determines when the moon rises
A full moon rises near sunset and is up all night; a new moon rises with the sun and is invisible at night. First-quarter rises around noon, sets around midnight — useful for early-evening shots without an all-night commitment. The calculator shows phase and countdown to next full/new, but rise/set times and moon azimuth require a dedicated app like PhotoPills or The Photographer's Ephemeris.
Supermoon exaggeration in practice
A supermoon (perigee full moon) is about 14% larger in diameter and 30% brighter than an apogee full moon. On a sensor, 14% larger means a very small perceptible difference in print — you need a long telephoto (400mm+) and side-by-side comparison to see it clearly. The apparent massive-moon effect in famous photos comes almost entirely from telephoto compression placing a foreground subject in the same frame, not from the supermoon itself being dramatically larger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does moon phase matter for night photography planning?
The moon is by far the brightest natural night-sky object, and its light washes out faint stars and the Milky Way. Near a new moon, skies are darkest, ideal for deep-sky astrophotography. A full moon provides natural fill light for landscape shots but obscures the Milky Way almost completely. Even a 25% illuminated crescent reduces star visibility noticeably.
When is the best moon phase for Milky Way photography?
The three to four nights centered on a new moon are optimal, when the moon is below the horizon for most of the night or illuminates less than 5% of its surface. During this window the galactic core can be photographed without light pollution from the moon. Check both the phase and moonrise and moonset times for your specific shooting window.
What photography subjects benefit from a full moon?
Night landscapes, seascapes, and architectural shots can look dramatic under full moonlight because the scene is illuminated with a cool, soft light that creates long shadows. Exposure times of 1 to 4 minutes at f/8 and ISO 800 can produce images that look almost like daylight on a clear full-moon night. Star trails also look effective against moonlit foregrounds.
How accurate is a moon phase calculator for planning shoots weeks ahead?
Moon phase calculations based on the 29.53-day synodic cycle are extremely accurate for months or years in advance because the moon’s orbit follows predictable celestial mechanics. Actual moonrise and moonset times depend on your latitude and longitude, so use a location-specific tool like PhotoPills or The Photographer’s Ephemeris alongside this calculator.
What is the difference between moon age and illumination percentage?
Moon age is the number of days since the last new moon, ranging from 0 to 29.53. Illumination percentage is the fraction of the visible disk that is lit, derived from the phase angle. Age and illumination are related but not linear: at age 7.4 days (first quarter) illumination is 50%, but at age 14.8 days (full moon) it reaches 100%. For photography, illumination percentage is the more practical number.