Where are we going to watch the moonrise this year?
Every year as summer approaches, I get excited about watching the moonrise. It probably sounds silly to people who have more sunshine than we do in western Washington, but since we have clouds 9-10 months out of the year, summer is the only time we can really plan on seeing the full moon rise.
I start by checking the dates and marking them on my calendar. There are 3 opportunities in each cycle to see the full moon. One night where it is officially a full moon, along with the night before and the night after when it is so close it may as well be a full moon. Summer is busy, but usually I can at least catch one of the three.
This year we are looking at June 10-12, July 9-11, and August 8-10. On the first night the moon will rise before sunset – the easiest to photograph, the middle night the moon rises at sunset, and the third night the moon rises after sunset. The location will shift a bit from night to night too.
Next, I review the places we’ve been and some of the new places we’d like to try. I have an ap that helps with this one. The chart online tells me the location in degrees where the moon will rise. The ap helps me see how that translates to a specific location.
We’ve found many tried and true locations. You can never go wrong with hanging out at Ruston Way or Point Ruston. The moon will rise near Mount Rainier and it’s gorgeous! We’ve also enjoyed the moonrise from Gig Harbor, and Point Robinson.
Where will we go this year? We’ll see. I’d like to find a new spot, but if we don’t, the locations above are pretty great.
Also, since it’s so near where we live it requires almost no planning on our part.
1. Check for the location of the moonrise here or other places online. https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/tacoma
2. Look outside to see if the sky is clear
3. Get some coffee brewing to take with us (probably decaf since it’s evening)
4. Make sure the fold-up chairs are already in the car (they usually live there throughout spring and summer)
5. Grab our camera gear (it’s always ready to go).
Do you have a favorite place to watch the moon? I’d love to hear about it!