Elusive Moons
Some people don’t know this, but, the full moon rises at a different azimuth (angle) each month of the year. Like the sunrise and sunset in a one year period, that distance is only between a given degrees. For sunrises and moonrises, that number is between 61 and 118 degrees approx., and for sunset and moonset it’s 242 and 299 degrees. Oh boy, that’s a lot of information at one time, well, what does it all mean you might ask. Once a year, when the moon decides to set or rise at its extreme azimuth, you have the opportunity for a rare full moonset shot. These locations can create rather unique looking images simply because you normally don’t see full moons there very often. I mark these dates and locations well in advance, circled on my calendar a year ahead, so it’s just a matter of waiting and remembering. I do the same thing with crescent moon locations which can be even trickier, although they follow the same rules with a few other variables involved. This top image, the one they recently ran in the Malibu Surfside News was taken in May, the 24th to be exact, so it’s a Full flower Moon set taken about half a mile or so down the left shoreline from the pier at 5:14am. It’s very peaceful there at that time, not a soul around, just the crashing waves amidst an eerie moon setting silence. It’s not hard to track me down, just watch for a full moon in Malibu, I’m the guy with the abnormally long beard running down the beach.
(Below) Another image of the same phenomenon. I was wondering on my way past the pier this very morning. If the moon goes around the earth and the earth around the sun, where is the sun going, and so on and so on. The world is a mathematical puzzle interlaced with reoccurring patterns over and over like a rolling ball. I find comfort in positioning myself in line with some of these patterns throughout the year. Like this moon event. I think the harder it is to see the pattern in life the more that we feel alive and human. It’s like the digital and analog controversy in music and photography. Personally, I would rather not see or feel the pattern. -Pacheco
”The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” - Paulo Coelho
