Before the shoot · Planning
Moon
Moon photography on one page: phase, age, illuminated fraction, Earth–Moon distance, apparent size, magnitude, libration and relief (how long the crater shadows are along the terminator); today’s moonrise, transit and moonset with direction and altitude, the altitude curve and how fast the Moon drifts, and whether moonrise or moonset falls in golden or blue hour; a suggested shutter for phone, digital, digital back or film (Looney 11 as the base, with extra stops worked out from the phase and from low-altitude extinction) and the longest shutter before the Moon blurs; field of view, how much of the frame the Moon fills and the focal length you need for a given size, by sensor format; hourly cloud, seeing, transparency and dew risk (Pro) plus sky darkness; and what’s coming up — phases, supermoons and micromoons, lunar eclipses and lunar occultations. Lining the Moon up with a peak or a building is done in the Planner, linked from here. Free.
When it helps
- moon
- photograph the moon
- moon phase
- moon age
- full moon
- new moon
- first quarter
- last quarter
- moonrise
- moonset
- when does the moon rise
- what time does the moon come up tonight
- which direction is the moon
- how high is the moon
- supermoon
- micromoon
- lunar eclipse
- lunar occultation
- how to photograph the moon
- moon shutter speed
- moon camera settings
- Looney 11
- how big is the moon
- what focal length for the moon
- how much of the frame the moon fills
- libration
- earth moon distance
- moon magnitude
- how fast the moon moves
- moon motion blur
- dew
- lens fogging
- occultation
- moon exposure
At a glance
| Where to find it | Tools tab → Moon (or Astro → Sun & Moon → Moon photography) |
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| Category | Before the shoot · Planning |
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| Platforms | iOS / Android / HarmonyOS (native) (coming soon) |
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“Moon” is one of the 37 photography tools in Optaxis. Coming to iOS, Android and HarmonyOS (native) at the same time, expected between late December 2026 and early January 2027; once live, search for “光轴” (Optaxis) in your app store to download.
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