{"id":51873,"date":"2023-11-21T10:24:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T10:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eb5bf40c-ed47-4533-b7dc-d2761a039c9e"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:32:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:32:41","slug":"how-to-observe-a-full-moon-tricks-tips-and-what-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-observe-a-full-moon-tricks-tips-and-what-to-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"How to observe a full Moon: tricks, tips and what to look for"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some will tell you a full Moon is the worst time to observe our lunar neighbour, but there’s still plenty to see when the Moon is fully illuminated. <\/p>

By Will Gater\n <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 21 November 2023 at 10:24 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Step out to observe a full Moon and you’ll be greeted by one of the best, most mesmerising naked-eye celestial spectacles.<\/p>

Not every astronomer feels this way though. When the Moon is full its bright disc lights up the sky.<\/p>

This frustrates observers of faint galaxies and imagers wanting to take long exposures without gradients spoiling their shots.<\/p>

There are some who take a more defeatist attitude to the full Moon, that it is the worst of the Moon’s phases<\/a>.<\/p>

They say the bright lunar leaves little else to see, or wonder conspiratorially why the skies only seem to be clear when the Moon is shining.<\/p>

If you’re concerned about imaging when the Moon is bright, read our guide to astrophotography during a full Moon<\/a>.<\/p>

\"Full — Get out to observe a full Moon rising and you could be greeted with a sight like this. Credit: Peter Sculthorpe, Liverpool, 19 April 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Should you observe a full Moon?<\/strong><\/h2>
Observe a full Moon and you might feel that it’s, well, a bit bland.<\/p>
At full Moon the landscape on the Earth-facing side of the lunar globe is lit from directly above.<\/p>
This means that the dramatic shadows and relief we see during other phases is gone.<\/p>
The result is the spectacular textures of the Moon\u2019s craggy surface are rendered almost invisible.<\/p>
And many mountains and craters seem to disappear into their surroundings.<\/p>
Many astronomers will tell you not to bother trying to observe the full Moon, as it’s best seen during the crescent and gibbous phases.<\/p>
This is when shadows are cast and the terminator<\/a> (the shadow and relief-rich boundary between the illuminated and unlit portion of the Moon) emphasises topographical features.<\/p>
But there is still plenty to enjoy during a full Moon.<\/p>
In this guide we’re going to celebrate the full Moon, revealing how best to observe it, and what you should look out for.<\/p>
For advice on exploring the Moon whatever its phase, read our guide on how to observe the Moon<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>
6 ways to observe a full Moon<\/strong><\/h2>Observe the full Moon rise<\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"Full$
Full Moon rising over North Tenerife by Peter Louer, Tenerife. Equipment: Canon 700D, 55-250mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It\u2019s all too easy to take the rising full Moon for granted, only stopping to watch if you glimpse it inadvertently rather than treating it as a celestial event in its own right.<\/p>
Yet if you can get to an observing site with an unobstructed horizon on a clear evening, there are many fascinating phenomena to catch sight of as the Moon climbs.<\/p>
One that tends to stops most people in their tracks is the famous \u2018 Moon illusion<\/a>\u2019, which makes the rising lunar disc appear larger than when it\u2019s higher in the sky.<\/p>
$\"Moonset$
Moonset at Ilh\u00e9us by Aladin Kinach Rodrigues, Ilh\u00e9us, Bahia, Brazil. Equipment: Canon T3, EF75-300mm f\/4-5.6.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
But there\u2019s also the \u2018rippling\u2019 edge and \u2018flattening\u2019 of the Moon\u2019s disc, caused by atmospheric refraction, to look out for \u2013 particularly with a small telescope or good binoculars.<\/p>
And if the skies are really clear, watching the reddened full Moon rising below the pink \u2018Belt of Venus\u2019 \u2013 back-scattered light from the setting Sun at twilight<\/a> \u2013 can make for wonderful observing memories.<\/p>
See the Moon’s ray-ejecta systems<\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"Observe$
Observe a full Moon through a telescope and explore the lunar ray ejecta systems. This is Copernicus Crater. Credit: Peter Louer, Tenerife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
There\u2019s one type of lunar feature that really dazzles during a full Moon. They\u2019re known as ray ejecta systems and they make fantastic imaging targets.<\/p>
They appear as bright streaks radiating from certain craters and consist of the material thrown out from the violent impacts that formed these surface scars.<\/p>
A DSLR attached to a lens or small telescope, with a focal length of around 300-400mm, will easily pick up the more extensive ray systems, such as that of Tycho.<\/p>
A webcam or high frame rate CCD camera<\/a> combined with a modest telescope is an ideal setup for capturing the wonderful complexity and unusual shapes of the ray ejecta around craters such as Copernicus (see above) and Proclus. <\/p>
Explore the edge of the Moon<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"When$
When you observe a full Moon, you can observe slightly more than half the surface, thanks to lunar libration. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
As the Moon orbits Earth it doesn\u2019t always show the exact same face to us. In fact, it appears to wobble during the course of its orbit so that otherwise-invisible parts of the lunar limb rotate towards us, while other parts are rotated away.<\/p>
This allows us to glimpse a little more of the Moon\u2019s globe than just a single, static hemisphere. This phenomenon is known as lunar libration<\/a> and it can bring into view craters and other surface features that aren\u2019t always visible.<\/p>
$\"Mare$
Mare Humboldtianum approaching, then disappearing, over the Moon\u2019s limb during libration. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
So don\u2019t discount getting your telescope out on the nights around the full Moon when the gibbous Moon is shining brightly.<\/p>
Although it might seem as if there\u2019s only a narrow strip of terminator to observe, there may be a feature that libration has brought into a good position to study.<\/p>
Features that benefit from libration include the Pythagoras and Grimaldi craters and the Mare Humboldtianum.<\/p>
See the 22\u00b0 halo<\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"A$
A halo around the Moon captured by Mohammed Aissa Moussa from Ghardaia, Algeria. Mohammed used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSRL camera and 15mm fisheye lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Have you ever stepped out to observe a full Moon and seen a halo around the Moon<\/a>?<\/p>
On most nights high, wispy, clouds drifting overhead would quickly curtail an imaging or observing session.<\/p>
But at full Moon, as well as when our nearest neighbour is showing its larger \u2018gibbous\u2019 phases, bright moonlight often streams down through such clouds.<\/p>
This can create beautiful haloes and other atmospheric phenomena that make intriguing and sometimes elusive celestial quarries.<\/p>
One atmospheric phenomenon you may see around the time of full Moon is a bright ring of light around the lunar disc.<\/p>
It\u2019s an ice halo known as the 22\u00b0 halo \u2013 due to its angular radius on the sky being 22\u00b0 \u2013 and is caused by ice crystals suspended within high clouds refracting the light of the Moon.<\/p>
$\"Moonlight$
Moonlight shining through ice crystals in clouds may result in the 22\u00b0 lunar halo. Credit: Will Gater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
You can generally confirm what you\u2019re seeing is the 22\u00b0 halo by holding your outstretched hand at arm\u2019s length, while placing the tip of your little finger over the lunar disc.<\/p>
If the tip of your thumb is almost reaching the halo then you can be confident that it\u2019s the 22\u00b0 halo you\u2019ve spotted.<\/p>
Sometimes the 22\u00b0 halo can be very faint \u2013 requiring you to block out the bright lunar disc with your outstretched hand to see \u2013 whereas other times it can be absolutely unmistakable, even against the glare of the Moon.<\/p>
Another striking phenomenon, although this time created by diffraction through water droplets rather than ice within clouds, is the lunar corona, which appears as a spectacular series of concentric coloured bands around the Moon.<\/p>
Search for a moondog<\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"Moondogs$
Moondogs are caused by ice crystals and appear as bright spots on the lunar halo. Credit: Will Gater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Perhaps the atmospheric phenomena that are the most rewarding to catch around the time of full Moon are the ethereal apparitions known as \u2018moondogs\u2019 or \u2018paraselenae\u2019.<\/p>
These are just like the \u2018sundogs\u2019 that are seen during the daytime (read our guide to daytime astronomy<\/a>) but tend to be much more difficult to spot due to their often being considerably fainter.<\/p>
Just like the 22\u00b0 halo, moondogs are formed by the refraction of moonlight through ice crystals within wispy clouds.<\/p>
If the clouds are thin or scattered enough to allow bright stars to be seen around them they can be a truly exquisite sight as well as being a fantastic target for astrophotographers.<\/p>
Observe a full moon during lunar eclipse<\/strong><\/h3><\/div> $\"Lunar$
Lunar Eclipse (28\/09\/2015) by Scott Phillips, Wales, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher Skymax 127 EQ-5, Canon 450d, Backyard EOS<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Still not convinced about the reasons why getting out to observe a full Moon can be so worthwhile?<\/p>
Maybe the magic of a celestial phenomenon that can only occur at this time will finally win you over. We\u2019re talking, of course, about a total lunar eclipse<\/a>.<\/p>
Granted, they\u2019re not exactly monthly events, but there\u2019s no denying that the slow and serene progress of the Earth\u2019s shadow across the lunar disc \u2013 with the full Moon turning from blazing silver to a soft orangey-red \u2013 makes for one of nature\u2019s greatest shows.<\/p>
It\u2019s worth watching these events just to see the fainter stars emerge during totality, when the sky darkens as the light of the full Moon is dimmed. Find out which eclipses are coming up in our guide to the next eclipse<\/a>.<\/p>
Pictures of full Moons<\/strong><\/h2>Below is a selection of images of the full Moon captured by astrophotographers and BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em> readers. For lunar imaging advice, read our guide on how to photograph the Moon<\/a>.<\/p>
And don’t forget to send us your images<\/a> or share them with us via Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"Silhouette$
Credit: Yaorusheng \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Full$
Full Moon over the Castle of EvoramonteS\u00e9rgio Concei\u00e7\u00e3o, Evoramonte, Portugal, 6 May 2023Equipment: Canon EOS R mirrorless camera, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Orange$
Orange full Moon. Credit: Ambre Haller \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Super$
Super full Moon. Credit: Larry Keller, Lititz Pa. \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Full Moon in Moscow \u00a9 Anna Kaunis (Russia), Hodynka, Moscow, Russia, 3 July 2020. Equipment: Nikon Z6 camera, 200\u2013500mm lens at 500 mm f\/22, ISO 400, 0.25-second exposure<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"A$
A full Moon accompanies the rollout of the Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center, 17 March 2022. Credit: NASA\/Aubrey Gemignani<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"A$
A fishing boat sails under a full Moon in Xianrendao in China’s northeastern Liaoning province 17 September 2016. Credit: JOHANNES EISELE\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"A$
A full Moon that looks blue. Credit: PhotoAlto\/Frederic Cirou\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Sarah$
Sarah and Simon Fisher, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Sarah and Simon say: “Larger than any other full Moon of 2016 and indeed any other full Moon since 26 January 1948! We had our fingers crossed and were thrilled to get this shot of the fifth largest moon in the Solar System and the only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot.” Equipment: Canon EOS 600D DSLR camera, 75-300mm lens<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Full$
Full Moon risingPeter Sculthorpe, Liverpool, 19 April 2019Equipment: Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera, Canon 100-400mm lens, tripod.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Full$
Full Moonrise Composite – Steve Knight, Taken from just outside Port de Pollenca in Majorca, the photographer set the camera to take images 2 seconds apart to create a timelapse. He then selected 6 images taken 140 seconds apart and stacked them using StarStax to get the effect of the moons just touching. The colour change in the rising moon illustrates a beautiful display of atmospheric Rayleigh scattering.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Kevin$
Kevin Jackson, Southport, 5 October 2017Kevin says: \u201cI love taking pictures of the Moon so the full Harvest Moon was extremely appealing. I’m a back garden amateur astrophotographer and find lunar photography a great and easy way of learning basic astrophotography skills.\u201dEquipment: Altair Hypercam IMX178C, Altair Astro Starwave 102 ED doublet refractor (2017 version), Astro Physics CCDT67 Telecompressor, EQ3-2 mount, Moon filter.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"This$
This composite image of the moon using Clementine data from 1994 is the view we are most likely to see when the moon is full. Image Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Full$
Full Moon at Perigee by Tom Howard, Crawley, UK. Equipment: Nikon D7000 DSLR, TS-Optics 65mm quadruplet, Nikon x1.4 Teleconverter.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Tungsten$
Tungsten Moon by Steve Brown, Stokesley, N. Yorkshire, UK. Equipment: Canon 600D, Celestron NexStar 6SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon Rising over Mount Teide, Tenerife by Peter Louer, Tenerife. Equipment: Canon 700D, Canon 100-400mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Full$
Full Moon rising over North Tenerife by Peter Louer, Tenerife. Equipment: Canon 700D, 55-250mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Snow$
Snow Moon and Ryanair 737-800 by Mark Pelleymounter, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK. Equipment: Canon 7D, Tamron 150-600mm.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Moon by David Keep, East Malling, Kent, UK. Equipment: Canon 700D, 600mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Moon by Kevin Jackson, UK. Equipment: Sky-Watcher Equinox Pro 80ED, QHY5L-IIM, 0.5x Reducer.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Lunar$
Lunar Eclipse (28\/09\/2015) by Tom Howard, Crawley, Sussex, UK. Equipment: Nikon D7000 DSLR. Meade 5000 127mm refractor. Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Moonset$
Moonset at Ilh\u00e9us by Aladin Kinach Rodrigues, Ilh\u00e9us, Bahia, Brazil. Equipment: Canon T3, EF75-300mm f\/4-5.6.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Winter$
Winter Skye by Gill Williams, Waternish, Isle of Skye. Equipment: Casio Exilim EX-V8.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Moon$
Moon by Martin, Portsmouth, UK. Equipment: Sony a300, 70-300mm Tamaron lens no filters.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>