Can the moon affect stargazing?Moonlight significantly affects stargazing in several ways, primarily by altering the visibility and clarity of celestial objects in the night sky:

1. Brightness and Contrast: Moonlight illuminates the atmosphere and the landscape, reducing the overall contrast between the stars and the background sky. This makes faint stars, galaxies, and nebulae more difficult to see, as they blend into the brighter sky.

2. Sky Glow: Moonlight contributes to sky glow, especially in urban and suburban areas with existing light pollution. This ambient light pollution washes out the fainter stars and makes it harder to observe details in the night sky.

Can we still do stargazing when the moon is in the sky?

The Answer is yes! For the naked eye stargazing, all the stars we cover in the tour are still available. Also the moonlight will have little to no effect on the objects we show in the telescopes. And we adjust our observing strategy based on the lunar phase. We may focus on observing brighter objects like planets (subject to availability), star clusters, and double stars during brighter moon phases. During darker moon phases, they may explore fainter deep-sky objects and conduct astrophotography without the interference of moonlight.

The phase of the moon determines its brightness

New Moon: During a new moon, the moon is not visible in the sky, the darkest conditions for stargazing. This is the optimal time to observe faint stars, galaxies, and nebulae without interference from moonlight.

Half Moon: The milky way is still visible but quite faint to the naked eye. Personally we think it is very beautiful when there is a balance of stars and moonlight in the night sky.

Full Moon: During a full moon, the entire face of the moon is illuminated, casting the most light into the sky. This is when stargazing is most challenging because the sky is brightest, and only the brightest stars and planets are visible. Fainter objects are often completely obscured.

Stargazing when the moon is full

MoonRise and MoonSet: These two spectacles both bring a form of beauty during tours. With careful planning, you can witness both the Milky Way and the moon during your tour. The Milky Way is often visible when the moon is near the horizon.

How to Check Moonrise and Moonset Times

You can find the exact times for moonrise and moonset at your location using this website. Keep in mind that in Tekapo, the surrounding mountains may delay your view of the moon by about 30 minutes. For example, if the website indicates a moonrise at 6 pm, expect to see it around 6:30 pm.

Is a Stargazing Tour Worth It on a Full Moon Night?

Whether a stargazing tour on a full moon night is worthwhile depends on your expectations:

• Milky Way Seekers: If your main goal is to see the Milky Way, you might be disappointed.
• Night Sky Enthusiasts: If you’re interested in learning to appreciate the night sky, you’ll still find the tour exciting.

Even on a full moon night, all the stars we discuss during the tour are visible, and telescope viewing isn’t significantly affected by moonlight. Our stargazing tours focus on the overall experience: learning about the stars, using telescopes, taking photos, and enjoying the company of fellow travelers around a fire. The moonlight doesn’t impact our tour content.

Most of our guests on full moon tours are just as happy as those on new moon tours. The moon is a beautiful, natural part of our night sky. As a stargazer, I appreciate the moonlight as much as the starlight, and we would love to share the beauty of a moonlit night with you.

Rare Events on Moonlit Nights

On a moonlit night, you might be fortunate enough to witness some rare celestial events:

Aurora: If you’re very lucky, you may see the aurora. The moonlight will add a unique filter to your photos, creating a mesmerizing effect.

Moonbow: On very rare occasions, you might see a moonbow. This phenomenon occurs when the sky is partially raining and partially clear. When the angle is just right, you can see a rainbow against a backdrop of a starry night sky.

If you are interested in joining a tour in Lake Tekapo, you can make a booking on our website https://chameleonstargazing.com/