May 2021 Supermoon Over Okinawa

 Cloudy Skies Didn't Stop the Moon from Showing

They just made it a bit challenging for photographers and moon viewers.

Here are 4 photos depicting this month's Full Moon, an eclipse, and the Supermoon setting.

It was 8:39 PM on May 26th when this eclipse photo was taken.

It would be 9:59 PM before an almost cloudless image of the moon could be captured.

At 4:56 AM on May 27th the moon shined brightly setting over Kin Bay.

At 5:29 AM a parting shot was taken of the moon before it disappeared again.

April 2020 Supermoon and the Morning After

April 8th at 7:25 PM

April 9th at 5:37 AM

Night After Supermoon MAR 2019

Missed the Supermoon last Night

Some people got a peek at the moon before clouds rolled in over Okinawa.

While it was still daylight, I saw it but, didn't bother to get the camera.

My plan was, to wake up early in the morning and catch the moon setting over the ocean.

Hah, the sky was completely whited-out at 4 AM.

Tonight, from the roof of my office, I caught this red moon around 7:30 PM.

The moon at this point is about 99.6 percent full and shrinking.

If, you missed the Full Moon last night, get out there right now and enjoy.

It's the last Supermoon for the ear 2019!

Wordless Wednesday: Supermoon Soon

Moon Phases 2019

Wordless Wednesday: Okinawa's Cloudy Supermoon FEB 2019

Full Moon NOV 2016 Over Okinawa

Called a Supermoon

It may have appeared a bit brighter than usual but, the size looks the same from here.

Those astronomy dudes, tricked us, is what I'm thinking. I've seen bigger moons.

This one was supposed to be the largest full moon since 1948.

Last night, up in an observation tower, waiting for the moon, were two elderly gals.

They were getting ready, to give up, waiting for the thing to bust through the clouds.

Seeing, a bit of orange glow, off to the east, I told them, wait five minutes.

We got chatting and, I mentioned, this large size moon, hasn't been seen, in over 60 years.

So, they should, hang in there. The last time we had a supermoon, like this was 1948.

That's the year, I was born.  They cackled. That's why they were up there, too.

One was older than me, the other was a bit younger. Now, I have some new friends.

I hope they are happily married because, I never want to get caught, again.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens Pentax 300MM with 1.4 converter Focal Length 420MM

Exposure: f/16  1/13   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: NOV 15 2016 7:06 PM

Last Night's Supermoon -- Animation and a Word About Cats

The Scene at 6:34 PM

 

 

Conveniently located three flights of stairs above my office is the roof of the building.

Moonrise was supposed to happen at 6:18 PM and, I was ready.

About 5:30, I grabbed a tripod and the Pentax, to set them up early.

Looking out to the east, I was disappointed when seeing the thick cloud layer out at sea.

Not used to this location, I wasn't sure, where the moon would appear if, it did at all.

They say, an idle mind is the devil's workshop. That's kind of spooky.

So, when I started thinking about spitting on cats, walking down the street, I had to get busy.

I'm not real fond of stray cats but, don't want cat people getting mad at me.

So, I started shooting buildings, bugs and birds, through 700MM of lens.

Once, I even ran back down the stairs and grabbed some coffee out of my fridge.

When the cats, see me coming, they run, too. I like cat people better than cats.

They are responsible for the design of tuna fish cans, I believe.

Whenever I eat canned tuna, I like to lick the can clean, with my tongue.

If those cans had sharp edges, you could wind-up bleeding all over the place.

The tuna people know, the cat people, would take them to court over bleeding cats.

So, that's why, I think cat people are alright. Still, I'm not crazy about cats.

Back to the Moon

As the sun set behind me, fast moving black clouds, started showing up.

The moon, would appear and disappear several times, during the hour, I was up there.

Nobody wants photos of the full moon, with clouds covering half of it, I'm sure.

Having the camera, locked in position, made creation of this GIF, easy.

Seven images, shot between 6:43 and 6:51, were used to make it.

Then, I saved the supermoon images, I liked best and, threw the other 50 away.

Out in the garden, I placed some leftovers, for the stray cats to eat.

And, called it a day !

Lookin' Back at the SEP 2015 Supermoon

It Really Pays to Look Back

 

 

Shooting the full moon is something, I try to do every month.

It's always a good idea to get out there and scout out a good location to shoot from, early.

My walk, last night started shortly after 5PM and, things were looking grim.

At the mouth of the Okukubi River, I walked out on the seawall.

The elderly woman, fishing chuckled when, I told her I was going to shoot the supermoon.

The photos in this animated GIF were taken at 6:22PM.

The plan was, to catch the moon rising over the horizon and, it probably wouldn't happen.

About 6:30, I decided it had been a wasted night and started heading back to town.

My tripod had been set up farther out on the seawall, past the old woman.

The wind was kicking up. I wished the woman good luck and headed for shore.

Before, I got off the seawall, the moon appeared and, I was glad I had looked back.

A quick shot was taken but, I knew it wouldn't be a keeper; things were too shaky.

Time: 6:37PM

Once, I hit land, I set up the tripod again and snapped another shaky image, in the wind.

Time: 6:40PM

It didn't seem like things would get any better and, I had a long walk home ahead of me.

Walking back up the river, the wind started to die down and, I kept looking back. 

 If you don't like stubborn people, you probably wouldn't want to meet me.

Following the road upstream, I kept stopping and, looking back at the moon, for a clear shot.

Time: 7:08PM

From one end of the river, to the other, I kept walking and, checking on the moon.

By the time, I reached the Kin Dam, it peeked through the black clouds again.

Time: 7:46PM

 Heavy black clouds kept blowing across the moon and blocking it out.

After taking this shot, I figured my photography, for the night, was done.

Time: 7:47

Now, I'm sitting here wondering if that old gal caught any fish for her supper.

She probably shouldn't have cackled at me !

Supermoon Image AUG 29 2015

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 50-500 with 1.4 converter for a focal length of 700mm

Exposure:  f/16   1/50   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  AUG 29 2015   6:57PM

Editor's Pick for the Month of September 2014 (Photo)

Supermoon SEP 2014

This photo was taken at 7:04PM on September 9, 2014 in Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 50-500 at 500mm

Exposure: f/16  1sec   ISO 100

The July 2014 Full Moon Is Being Called a Supermoon !

First a Motion Gif

 

 

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds briefly last night.

Just when, I was ready to leave the office, I spotted it.

So, I ran back inside and grabbed the Pentax K3, Sigma 50-500mm lens and a tripod.

Sitting on the front steps, here's what I saw.

The photos, used to create this GIF, are un-cropped.

That's the size of the moon, I see, looking through my camera's viewfinder.

Normally, I wouldn't save photos with clouds blowing by the moon.

What I was doing, is playing around with the exposure settings.

That way, if and when, the clouds blew away, I'd be ready.

Ready, to shoot that sucker, when in was in the clear !

Moon Stuff Is a Bit Confusing

 

 

The whole Full Moon schedule, fools me.

After shooting 25 photos of the moon last night, I posted on on my Facebook Page.

And, I told everyone, to standby, because I thought the full moon was coming tonight.

Then, I left my office for the second time and went to a watering hole.

This gal, I call, Eri My Love So Sweet, was there.

When I told her, this month's full moon is on the 12th of July, she said, "Uh-uh."

According to the Lunar Calendar, it's on the 15th day of the sixth month.

We got a Chinese Calendar and, checked.

Sonovagun, if the full moon wasn't July 11, 2014, which happened to be, last night !

So, I'm calling this, the July 2014 Full Moon.

One thing, you don't want to do, is start an argument with those Chinese guys.

They practically live next door to Okinawa.

And, there are gazillions of them who may be looking for a fight. 

For the Rest of the World's Moon Gazers 

Go ahead and call the 12th of July 2014 Your Full Moon Night.

The Thunder Moon, Hay Moon and Full Buck Moon are names you could also, use.

They say, it is one of three supermoons appearing during 2014.

That, is according to the Earthsky Org. 

If, you like dingbat sort of stuff, Mystic Mama will teach you about the July 2014 full moon. 

And, over at Moon Giant, you can see the full moon dates, all the way through 2016.

Grab yourself a camera or, a lover and, check it out tonight.

Staying in line with the Confucius way of thinking, I already gotterdun !

Other Breaking News

MikesRyukyuGallery is going through a name change.

Nothing is going away, just some minor changes.

It may take a while for everything to kick in but, hang in there with me.

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park Under The Supermoon (Photos)

June 23rd is Memorial Day in Okinawa, Japan

 

Mabuni Hill, in Itoman is the site, dedicated to the memory of all those lost during the war.

Last night, we went there late, to see the illumination.

Fortunately, the full moon was available to photograph, too.

Because Itoman is far south of where I live, I had no idea where the moon would rise.

Pillars of Peace Lights were turned on over a monument.

They represent the searchlights used during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

The Supermoon looked huge as it rose above the treetops.

The place was solemnly quiet.

Visitors came to a pond, where they could float a lighted candle for peace.

Many of them knelt and made prayers.

Here is one candle, singled-out, to show the reflection on the water.

Making a long exposure for the moon, the candles leave a light trail.

A gentle summer breeze kept them in motion.

Moving away from the pond gave a view of the illumination and the moon.

Is there a special Memorial Day like this, where you live ?

Rambling On About Supermoon June 2013 in Okinawa

Supermoon is a New Word

 

The word just arrived in my vocabulary this week.

It happened when I did some online searches for this month's full moon schedule.

A new word doesn't feel comfortable until you use it a hundred times.

That fact, I learned from my English as a second language book.

So, every chance I get, I'll be saying "SUPERMOON".

And, I should probably tell the Spellcheck Dude, his stuff needs to be updated.

Here is what I saw on my way to a secluded location, to watch moonrise.

It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when I spotted these kids having a tug-o-war in the mud.

Doesn't that make you want to be a kid again ?

If anybody, out there, needs a babysitter, give me a holler.

Drop the little rascals off and I'll make sure they get some quality play time.

An hour later, I was on the waterfront and noticed, fish started jumping out of the water.

The supermoon wasn't showing, yet so, I practiced shooting fish.

Whenever you see a bunch of little fish jumping, something bigger, is after them.

The, so called, supermoon, didn't catch my eye, until around 7 PM.

That's because there was a fairly thick marine layer on the horizon, blocking the view.

By 8 PM I started getting full moon shots, like this.

To get sharp details with a digital camera, I like to underexpose by 5 or 6 clicks.

Here's a wide angle image of the supermoon over Kin Bay.

The star burst effect, makes it look more like a supermoon, if you ask me. 

It's probably best for me not to tell you how this photo was taken.

And, if you decide to drop your kids off, for me to watch, there's a few things you need to know.

If they get dirty, it's not my fault.

And, my standard fee is:  $750.00 US Dollars an hour.

It would cost a little more, if you'd like me to teach them how to flip the bird !

NOTE:  The supermoon will occur tonight, weather permitting.

And, may be visible, in blue skies, as it sets tomorrow morning.

Summer Officially Starts Tomorrow !

Summer Solstice June 21, 2013

 

It all depends on where in the world you live and a lot of other scientific stuff.

Some people call it the longest day of the year.

It's really the day we get the most daylight.  That's if you live north of the equator.

Here is a photo I took in June of 2011 as the sun was setting on the west coast of Okinawa.

Tomorrow the sun will rise at 4:25AM and set at 6:59PM Japan Standard Time.

If the silly tropical storm we're having, gets done blowing, we may have sunshine.

Like, about 14 hours worth of sunshine on the first day of summer !

Now, I'm not sure what normal folks will be doing.

Grabbing the cameras and heading for the hills, sounds like a good plan to me.

If you have trouble thinking of things to do for summer solstice, check this out:

10 Ways to Celebrate Summer 

While you are there, do what (typical redneck fashion) I did.

The Old Farmer's Almanac, gives away all kinds of neat things, for free.

I got a whole pile of stuff and didn't spend a dime. Don't tell them I sent you.  OK ?

For more scientific minds:  Everything You Need to Know: June Solstice 2013

Another informative resource: AboutComGeography: Summer Solstice

Not Excited Enough Yet ?

 

Another goodie, I found while Googling June 2013, has to do with this month's full moon.

This will happen just after I recover from the first day of summer.

We are going to have an extraordinary Supermoon the 22-23 of June.

Don't miss out on all the summer fun !