Archive - Full Moon Over Mount Rainier
July 24, 2021
Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives. Inspired by the full moon this weekend, we are re-posting this spectacular EPOD originally published September 9, 2010.
Photographer: Sally Budack
Summary Author: Sally Budack; Jim Foster
The above photo shows the full Moon of July 24, 2010 centered directly above the ever picturesque Mount Rainier, Washington. It was taken just before sunset some 50 miles (80 km) away in Tacoma, Washington. This snow capped composite, or stratovolcano, stands 14,411 feet (4,392 m) above sea level towering above its surroundings. It is the loftiest summit in the Cascade Range. When the Moon is near the horizon, it seems to appear larger to us than when it resides higher in the sky. This is an illusion, however. It's no bigger when perched on the horizon than when overhead. What's different is that at the horizon the Moon has a point of reference, and our brain processes visual information into a spatial reference frame.
Photo details: Camera Maker: SONY; Camera Model: DSLR-A100; Focal Length: 70.0mm (35mm equivalent: 105mm); Aperture: f/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0040 s (1/250); ISO equiv: 125; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: program (Auto); White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No; Color Space: sRGB.