Moonrise, Sunset

July 11, 2002

Sunmoon062302

Provided and copyright by: Stan Richard
Summary authors & editors: Stan Richard

Have you ever seen the sun setting in the west and the full moon rising in the east? Well, this is not possible since the sun always sets before the full moon rises, but you can see a "near" (98%) full moon and the sun at the same time, as in the above image captured from the Saylorville Dam north of Des Moines, Iowa on June 23, 2002, two days after the summer solstice. In this 180 degree panoramic image, the sun is setting in the NW and the moon is rising in the SE, which is actually 24 frames from a digital camera stitched together using computer software. The high humidity/haze in the atmosphere gives the moon it's dusky orange color.

Related Links: