Golden Gate Bridge, California

 

Golden Gate Bridge, California

Use Astronomy Software to Plan AheadYou can hope for that lucky night when the moon rises unexpectedly, or you can plan for it. Planning works better. A glorious moon rising over the Golden Gate Bridge with moonlight on the bay was what I wanted to capture—and with the help of an app, I knew when it was going to be there.
There are plenty of apps that will tell you when to expect the event you want to shoot. Head and shoulders above the crowd is the Photographer’s Ephemeris . Odd name, great app. Available for all major platforms, it gives you the time for moonrise and moonset for any date (even years in the future) and from any position on Earth. But it will also lay it out for you on a satellite photo, so you’ll know exactly where to stand when the moon comes up.
For information on the Milky Way you’ll want to get one of the available astronomy software programs or smartphone apps, which are great for trip planning. They can tell you exactly where any celestial object will be in the sky, seen from any point on Earth at any give date and time. Powerful stuff. I like SkyGazer 4.5, but there are many options available. —Jim Richardson