ChronoWaves
Line up a landmark
Azimuth is the compass bearing clockwise from true north: east is 90°, south 180° and west 270°. Place your foreground along that bearing from your camera position.
Moon Photography Planner
Find a low Moon near sunrise or sunset, check its direction and plan a foreground for your photograph.
Preset places use the selected date's time zone. For custom coordinates, enter the local UTC offset. One offset applies to the whole day; adjust times after a daylight saving clock change. Coordinates are used for the calculation and are not saved by this tool.
Preparing your photography plan…
Illuminated at noon
Sunrise
Sunset
Low-Moon light windows
Moon & Sun through your day
NESW
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Suggested planning windows
We look for a Moon centre 0–15° above the horizon while the Sun is between −6° and +6°. These are composition opportunities, not a weather or brightness forecast.
Give the Moon a foreground
Check the horizon
A low Moon can sit behind buildings, hills or trees. Scout the viewpoint and arrive early; the Moon's position changes throughout your window.
Balance the exposure
Twilight or low sunlight can help balance a bright Moon with the landscape. Review your highlights and try several exposures. The right settings depend on your lens, light and subject.
ChronoWaves estimates Sun and Moon positions, sampling windows once per minute and the chart every five minutes. Moon altitude includes approximate lunar parallax; bearings use true north. A level horizon is assumed. Near the horizon, refraction, terrain and weather can change what you see. Near the zenith, compass direction becomes unstable. Phase and illumination use the site's approximate mean lunar cycle model. Use the slider for other times even when no suggested window is found.