Yosemite Moon rise, March 5, 2012 - a TR

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 6, 2012 - 01:53am PT
Yosemite Moon Rise
March 5, 2012


I keep track of the moon rise since in the grand scheme of things I'm down to my last 391 or so... every month I crunch the numbers and see if the moon rise in Yosemite will be on a day I can be there. As the day approaches, I get more serious with the numbers, and also looking at the weather.

Here is my calculation for the view in Ahwanhee Meadow
the red line is the horizon from the meadows, and the blue line is the trajectory of the Moon.

This month's moon rise was going to be on a Monday, and the weather looked dicey with the storm coming in, but it seemed to hold as I prepared to go up for climbing on Sunday... I made the call to stay and hope for a clear enough sky to shoot it coming up over Half Dome.

After climbing with Linda, driving out to the Sand Lot I stopped off in El Cap Meadow, the moon was up, it was around 7:30pm and I took some "Moon shots" of the normal sights...

no one on the walls that night.

The next morning I got up to shoot cliffs for "the project." I eventually went to the Deli for breakfast around 10:30am and wandered over to talk to Werner and Merry for a bit.

After that I went off in search of a good angle to shoot Chapel Cliffs near Church Bowl, but didn't really find anything. During my search I noticed a team on Bishop's Terrace, a rather odd place to put a belay (though I'm used to using an 80m rope for this, in one pitch), here is the leader in the crux, sending fine.

(if they read this and they want some images they should email me via STForum mail).

Well back to the purpose of the day, the moon rise.

No matter how many times I do the calculation, I'm never sure that I have done it right, and having positioned myself in a place slightly south of my calculation, I wondered if I positioned the Moon behind Half Dome and wouldn't know about it until it popped up over the summit, too late to correct.

So I notice what I first thought was a cloud in the notch, and realized quickly that it was the Moon, rising exactly where it should according to calculation.


and it's trajectory just along the skyline


and up to "Ansel's Moon" position


I was the only one there, another photog/tourist showed up because they liked the light of sunset on Half Dome and as they wandered into the meadow realized they got the moon too!

My black and white film will go off to the lab tomorrow and I'll have some images to scan when I get back from travel.

My pledge is not to miss any of those 390 odd moonrises remaining...
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Mar 6, 2012 - 01:55am PT
Whoa!

What will tomorrow's moon rise be like?

Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
Mar 6, 2012 - 01:56am PT
thanks Ed, Great post.

Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
Mar 6, 2012 - 01:56am PT
Divine, Ed.

John
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2012 - 01:57am PT
tomorrow's moon rise is later and farther south...
the trick is to get the moon high enough with enough light to compose a good image
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Mar 6, 2012 - 02:04am PT
I know a bunch of the photography people have figured out when they should show up for the firefall and such by trial and error, but I wonder how many actually do astronomical trig to figure out when to shoot?

Thanks for the share, Ed. I love seeing that you are up to doing nice things. M
zeta

Trad climber
Portland, OR
Mar 6, 2012 - 02:08am PT
very cool Ed!

I'm missing Yosemite...
Gabe

climber
Mar 6, 2012 - 02:32am PT
Thanks for the cool science and graphs Ed! We all have a limited number of moons if we are lucky. Keep on man.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Mar 6, 2012 - 04:09am PT
hey there say, ed.... wow! i could NOT sleep tonight, just thought i'd
check the ol' taco, really fast, before trying again (got to babysit in the morning) and:

oh my and wow, again...

i love this post... thanks so very VERY much for sharing all this!!

*my mom and i always loved going out to the see the moon rise--she is in calif, though, and me, out here in mich, so:
we don't get to share this fun...

and NEVER got to share it in yosemite, :O


lovely and wonderful share, say... i will have to go find that
ed-appreciation thread, next!!
*well, tomorrow, as, sleep or not, i need to get up early...


thank you so much!!!! keep on sharing these trips, when you
get a chance!


night to all, now...
god bless...
glad i couldn't sleep... more fun to get in on the TOP of this
fresh post, :)
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Mar 6, 2012 - 11:00am PT
So cool, Ed, thanks for the share! The moon was quite lovely last night. I hiked a friend back to the Foresta Road via the Old Coulterville Road (aka the new Yosemite employee commute hiking route!), and noticed the lovely moon.




And for the record, today's moonrise is "raining".
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2012 - 11:03am PT
today from the same spot:


you see that the moon is at the summit of Half Dome around 6:30pm about a half hour after sunset.. so not great for images, but a great sight none the less

the best spot to watch today would be Glacier Point (bearing 98º) better would be Union Point, and be there a bit earlier because of the altitude difference...

if you don't go because of rain, watch it on the Sentinel Dome webcam, moon rise is just after 4:30pm you can sample the cam images during that time if the weather isn't completely dreadful.

http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/webcams

Russ Walling

Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
Mar 6, 2012 - 11:10am PT
Cool stuff Ed!
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Mar 6, 2012 - 12:34pm PT
Fascinating... I tried to take some moonrise photos from near Union Point (somewhere between Union and Glacier Point), but I didn't really know how to use the camera, didn't have a tripod, and didn't have a good view from a steady rock. So I didn't get any good images...

But I'm looking at them and thinking - gee - this might have been a target for Ed's photography based on the position relative to Half Dome!

I'm also guessing that Ed can pinpoint the date - one (2) clue is obviously the position of the moon, and my location. There is another big clue in the picture that I won't mention. And finally - these photos were taken in, oh, the last 6 months.

One show Half Dome, and the moon is behind the cloud. The other shows both, with the moon behind the tree (yes, that IS Half Dome on the right)



(let's see if Ed takes the bait)
nutjob

Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 01:46pm PT
Ed, the whole idea brings a smile to my face, and the follow-through on your part fills me with respect. You're a cool dude.
Dos XX

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 01:59pm PT
Simply beautiful, Ed. Looking forward to more!
mikeyschaefer

climber
Yosemite
Mar 6, 2012 - 02:17pm PT
Hey Ed- Cool stuff. I've also done some similar sort of tracking for a photo.

Have you ever used the The Photographers Ephemeris?

Here's what the TPE shows for yesterday march 5th.



The photo below took me hours to map out and plan. I even went the couple nights before with a GPS and compass to make sure my research on TPE was correct

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2012 - 03:16pm PT
wonderful image Mikey!
I've used that tool too, but have my own Excel spread sheet that provides the information in a way that I can use most efficiently...

...I've been slowly working up to a Google Earth application that would be "dirt simple" to use and provide the scene on a particular day at a particular location as specified by the user...

however, it does take some time to do, so no one should hold their breath!

But all this work is a part of "creating an image" and not just "taking a picture."



I'll work on your image cleo, but not at work!

Mike Friedrichs

Sport climber
City of Salt
Mar 6, 2012 - 03:47pm PT
Really nice Ed. Makes me miss Yosemite. Thanks for sharing.
dougalclimber

climber
Mar 6, 2012 - 04:12pm PT
Thanks for posting this sir. I'm counting 'em now as well.
Double D

climber
Mar 6, 2012 - 05:52pm PT
Pure magic Ed, thanks for posting! Also kudos to Mikey... nice especially in this day of "photoshop" instead of actually "working" on images.
PellucidWombat

Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 06:46pm PT
I'm loving your photographs Ed. TFPU!
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2012 - 08:03pm PT
looks a bit thick out to the east beyond Half Dome right now...

...one can calculate, but so many other factors have to work out too...

each viewing is an amazing event
nutjob

Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 08:04pm PT
Mikey that is pretty awesome too. I love the E.T. style zoom shots.
David Wilson

climber
CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 08:57pm PT
really cool Ed. next is a google earth app - that's impressive. post up a few more of the orchestrated moon shots. have you done them mainly from the meadow ?

great shot Mikey. if i saw that without knowing i'd swear that was shopped in ( which is kind of sad )
moacman

Trad climber
Montana
Mar 6, 2012 - 09:16pm PT
Thanks Ed and to all for sharing...........

Stevo
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Mar 6, 2012 - 09:38pm PT
A somewhat similar but more amateurish attempt, at a different location:
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Mar 6, 2012 - 10:56pm PT
Ed and Mikey are bad ass!

Nice work

Karl
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
Mar 6, 2012 - 11:16pm PT
Phenomenal Ed,
WORLD CLASS!!!!

Thanks!
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2012 - 11:36pm PT
you can check out this thread, which was my first effort... the weather did not cooperate, but the image was interesting. This was from Ahwanhee meadow

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1023115


Here is one that was from Stoneman Meadow
as described in this thread:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1071230

And my continuing project with the "Rowell fire fall" which I need to go up to the top of the fall (maybe next year) and shoot the sunset from there to check my calculations that are on this thread:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1091074&msg=1091832#msg1091832


I have some other ideas, like Mikey's, for the Valley...
zBrown

Ice climber
Chula Vista, CA
Mar 6, 2012 - 11:47pm PT
Wow - thanks. Science is mankind's brother.
elcap-pics

Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
Mar 7, 2012 - 12:35am PT
Nice stuff Ed!!!

Mikey... you photoshopped that shot of Dean!!
Ha, that is what Dean said to me when he saw my signature shot of
"Climber in the moon". It does take considerable work to get a good Moon shot and yours is a great one... thanks for doing all the work, natural shots are so much better than the manipulated ones!!
em kn0t

Trad climber
isle of wyde
Mar 7, 2012 - 02:11am PT
mindblowing combination of science & vision,
especially the beautiful shot of moonrise in the notch
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 7, 2012 - 03:46am PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
MH2

climber
Mar 7, 2012 - 02:12pm PT
Ed's photos and his process are eye and mind opening. The one of the moon in the notch is particularly fine.

Anders posted my mash-up of moon and Atwell, but too small to see the wolf silhouetted. Oh, well, all my pictures are really only ideas of pictures that could be taken, with more talent and patience.

Anders got us started, but I now have the last 4 near-full moons. Quite a fluke for Vancouver. One is actually from Wyomissing, Pa, even more of a fluke.

For the most recent opportunity, the site I used to check the timing and phase of the moon had a link to tips for moonrise photography. A common way to enhance the shot was to have the moon over a mountain or city. Why not both?


jahil

Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
Mar 7, 2012 - 03:44pm PT
Wonderful post Ed!

steve
zBrown

Ice climber
Chula Vista, CA
Mar 9, 2012 - 10:07am PT
More thanks and something I did not know:

Full Worm Moon

Every Full Moon has a name depending on which month it falls. The names were created by Native Americans in the northern and eastern United States
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
Mar 9, 2012 - 10:17am PT
Paging Tom Evans... how about a link to your awesome photos of Mike. on the Bootflake or Ian Nicholson in the same spot.... love that photo.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 10, 2012 - 12:09am PT
Tom has some great shots...
here are some of the B&W first "drafts"




reworked


BMcC

Trad climber
Livermore
Mar 10, 2012 - 01:35am PT
Awesome!
Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta