Moonrise

About

Each month, there’s a spectacular site for everybody to see – but yet – most people don’t know about it.

Have you ever walked outside one night and thought the Moon looked much larger than it normally does? Did it have an orange colour to it and you were convinced it was some sort of "Blood Moon"?

Chances are, you saw the Moon while it was low on the horizon. When the Moon is in this position, a trick of the human brain makes it look larger, and the refraction of light makes it appear a reddish-orange colour.

Rather than wait for another lucky moment for this to happen again, every month you can join us overlooking the city of Montreal and see this incredible sight.

What You'll Learn

• the phases of the Moon
• why the Full Moon always rises around sunset time
• why the Moon looks red and large when it's low on the horizon
• how to find when the next Full Moon will be
• how to find the exact time and location the Full Moon will rise
• how to notice the rotation of the Earth in real-time
• how to use several free smartphone astronomy apps:
  • Star Walk 2 (iOS / Android)
  • Solar Walk Lite (iOS / Android)
  • Moon Globe (iOS)

WEATHER RULES

• If it's absolutely pouring out, we're NO GO.
• If it's super cloudy, with no hope for a view, we're NO GO.
• If it's a little cloudy, but we can see a good chunk of the sky, we are GO!
• If there's no clouds at all, we are GO!

What to Bring

• Smartphone to take photos (make sure it's charged and has free space!)
• Warm clothes (just in case it gets chilly)
• Comfortable walking shoes (if you meet us at the Statue, we'll be walking up Mont Royal)
• Water

Upcoming Events