From Blue-Sky Moonrise to Midnight Red Moonset

Everyone knows the Sun rises in the morning, crosses the sky at noon, and sets in the evening. But what about the Moon? Because it orbits the Earth, the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. That means you might see it rise or set at almost any time of day. Compared with the Sun’s regular schedule, the Moon’s path is harder to predict, yet far more varied and fascinating.
This photo sequence shows the waxing gibbous Moon on October 2. In the early afternoon, around 3 p.m., it rose into the blue sky, its faint glow barely visible against daylight. Near 8 p.m., it passed the meridian, revealing crisp details of craters and mountains. By after 1 a.m., as it sank low in the west, Earth’s thick atmosphere scattered its light, turning it into a deep red orb. These dramatic changes do not come from the Moon itself, but from the interplay of Earth’s atmosphere, background light, and viewing angle.

Canon R7 +SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 S DG OS HSM Sports

Use PhotoCap 6.0 to combine three photos of the moon rising, passing through the zenith and setting.
Moonrise (left): 2:52 PM on October 2nd, with the moon at approximately 3.9 degrees.
Moon transit (center): 7:56 PM on October 2nd, with the moon at approximately 43 degrees.
Moonset (right): 1:10 AM on October 3rd, with the moon at approximately 2.8 degrees.