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It’s a wonderful night for a moonbow!

June 11, 2014 Claire Annette Noland 6 Comments

yosemite falls moonbow

 
 
There are many pluses to living in California, one of which is the close proximity to Yosemite. Some of my earliest memories are set in Yosemite. I have been there in all seasons of the year and so far, all the seasons of my life.  I camped and hiked there with my family during my childhood. I even remember the evening  firefalls made by the rangers. As a teen, I spent a week there with the Yosemite Institute. In college, I found myself there with friends hiking the Little Yosemite Valley and I had one of the most terrifying times in my life when my dear friend, Carolyn, and I got lost at night in the winter wilderness while trying to cross country ski into Lake Ostrander. (The ranger told us to wait to go but we didn’t listen). Fortunately, we lived. I’ve been to weddings in Yosemite and spent many romantic evenings with my fiancee and now husband, Michael.

But, I had never seen a Moonbow. I had heard of this elusive natural event but knew the timing had to be just right. The naturalist John Muir wrote about the moonbow in the 1870’s. He called them lunar spraybows . They are also known as a lunar rainbow and only happen under certain conditions.

Recipe for a Moonbow

  • A waterfall with lots of mist at the base
  • no artificial light (turn off your flashlight!)
  • A full moon
  • A clear sky
  • proper geometry – the moon light must hit the mist “just right”

My husband knew that this was high on my “to do and see” list and the full moon in May just happened to be on my birthday! So, we loaded the bicycles and headed to Yosemite. We spent the day riding and hiking, had a wonderful dinner at the Ahwanhee, and dressed warmly for our evening adventure.

We had asked just about every official looking person about the moonbow. We were given different times and some even said there wasn’t enough water in the falls due to the current drought. The moon rise was listed at 9:16 pm but it actually takes a long time to rise over the mountains. The best source of information turned out to be a nice guy at the Yosemite Institute desk in the Visitor Center. We were told to be there at 11:16.

The best place to catch the moonbow is at the viewing terrace at the base of Yosemite Falls. There were lots of photographers there as this must be on the bucket list of every photographer. They were a great group, cheerfully helping each other figure out things that were way beyond my scope of imagination.

Finally, the moon crept over the cliffs and shone directly on the falls. There was a hush and WE SAW IT! A moonbow does not look like a rainbow to the naked eye. It looks like an ethereal line of chalk drawn across through the mist. A ghost of a rainbow. Delicate and lovely.

Our new photographer friends, however, had a different view. They kept the lenses of their cameras open for thirty seconds and were able to capture the full spectrum of the moonbow in all its glory – including stars in the sky! (The photo at the top of this blog is on the University of Texas website).

The best time to see the moonbow is during the full moon in April, May, and June. You still have time – the full moon will be this Friday.

I suggest you contact the Yosemite Institute to find out the approximate time.

Wear a jacket and turn off your flashlight when you get near the falls so you don’t disturb the viewing.

Here’s a great blog written by Jeff Stamer that has lots of great information about the moonbow including a map of the best viewing spots, what to wear, and photography tips for those of you who use cameras rather than than a smart phone:

http://www.firefallphotography.com/moonbows-yosemite-photographic-guide/

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Citizen Science, Field Trips Tagged With: Moonbow. Yosemite Falls Moonbow, Yosemite, Yosemite Institute

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. evelyneholingue says

    June 13, 2014 at 3:37 am

    This is exceptional! Gorgeous photo and great link to Jeff Stamer. I spoke with a few friends tonight and we are going tomorrow night. I need to check the time and hopefully it won’t be too late. Thank you, Claire, for the great post.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      June 14, 2014 at 3:00 pm

      Hi Evelyne,
      I hope you made it up to Yosemite and saw the moonbow. I read that this full moon was called the “Honey” Moon. I’m not sure why.

      Reply
  2. Jeff Stamer says

    June 16, 2014 at 12:34 am

    Hi Claire,
    Glad you liked my blog with tips on how to photograph the Moonbow. Let your readers know that if they have any questions, they should feel free to contact me at Jeffstamer@aol.com !
    Thanks,
    Jeff

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      June 19, 2014 at 5:06 am

      Hi Jeff,
      I really enjoy your interesting blog and will continue to read it and share it with others. I will pass on your e-mail.
      I hope you continue to capture more beautiful images.
      All the best,
      Claire

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Of Moonbows and Rejection Letters – Evelyne Holingue says:
    June 21, 2014 at 5:37 am

    […] read more about the  moonbow, celebrating rejection, and […]

    Reply
  2. Y is for Yosemite says:
    April 29, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    […] how you can see a moonbow in […]

    Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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claireannettenolandbooks

Author | teacher | Field Trip Planner
books that take you places
Raven’s Gift
Nancy Bess Had a Dress
Evie’s Field Day
Out and About w George series

Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on to Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on today’s Summer of Stories! Take a look and let me know what you think. The link is in my bio.

And then check out all the other great stories!

#summerofstories #floursackdresses #floursack #makedo #picturebookreadaloud 

@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing @eringreneaux
I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award v I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award voting continues until July 18th for members of SCBWI. Our book, Nancy Bess Had a Dress, is in the Southwest Division (where illustrator @angelac.hawkins lives)

Members, you can vote for books in all of the regions.
Cast your vote at this link: 

https://www.scbwi.org/crystal-kite/CK8

I will be sharing Nancy Bess July 11th online for the Summer of Stories https://summerofstories.substack.com/

and I'll be doing story time and craft at the Three River Public Library on July 11th at 10:30

@gnomeroadpublishing @pbspree @eringreneaux @tularecountylib 
@scbwicencal #crystalkiteaward
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We are enjoying a lovely summer’s day with CARL’S SLEEPY AFTERNOON thanks to our friends @laughingelephantbooks who sent us a copy signed by Alexandra Day and Carl!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Carl! You are such a good dog 🐾❤️
Carl has an opportunity to have a quiet and sleepy afternoon but does he rest? Not our Carl!
We’re on our 3rd generation loving this noble good dog and look forward to reading about his adventures for many more years!

#gooddogcarl #picturebookdogs #summerreading @mrernierecommends @christinabeeghly @laurennolandhajik @roxannenoland @gn705
Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking your young ones to a museum. And I suggest, before you go, you share the delightful picture book, MousterWorks, written and illustrated by @angelac.hawkins
Young mice, Cosette and Pépin, join Grand-mère on a splendid adventure through a mouse hole into a museum. They gaze at brilliant interpretations of well-known painting by famous artists such as Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Banister. Cosette excitedly engages with the art while her brother, Pépin, searches for cheese in the art and eventually realizes that he can be an artist and paint his favorite things.

The final photo is 2.5 year old Alice at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. She was captivated by "Home Sweet Home" (after Seurat, Manet, and Pippin) painted by Wangari Mathenge

Art is for all ages.

To read my full review, visit my blog https://afieldtriplife.com/mousterworks-lets-go-to-a-museum/

@gnomeroadpublishing #mousterworks #artmuseumswithkids
@laurennolandhajik
Looking forward to simple unscheduled days! #july Looking forward to simple unscheduled days!
#july #afieldtriplife #summer
Look what we found featured at the library! #nancy Look what we found featured at the library! #nancybesshadadress 
Thank you @tularecountylib 
#summerreading #picturebooks #librarylove 
@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing
Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" lis Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" list is visiting libraries where I love to see staff recommendations. SUMMER: A Solstice Story written by @kelseyegross and illustrated by @renataliwska is such a lovely picture book.
Owl, Squirrel, Raccoon, Bear, Sparrow, Rabbit, Woodpecker, and Deer gather to celebrate the arrival of summer with its gifts of light and new life. The friends share sprouts, fresh water, flowers, and fruit each accompanied by special wishes for the little ones to shine, glow, shimmer, gleam, and blaze bright with solstice light. They spend the day with festivities as they dance, splash, hop, and savor a forest feast.
I shared this with a group of children the night before the Solstice so that they understood how special this date is. Then, we read it again as the sun set on the longest day of the year after partaking of many of the same activities done by the woodland animals. They really enjoyed the center pages that fold out.
This is a soft, gentle, and breathtakingly beautiful picture book that should be enjoyed all summer long. @pbspree #summersolstice #summerasolsticestory
We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decad We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decades so we are excited to celebrate 40 years of our favorite picture book series! I love the book mom and Carl’s adventures are the best!
So let’s raise a toast to Carl, the very good dog, and to  @laughingelephantbooks Here’s to many more wonderful years of ❤️ filled stories.
#wewon #gooddogcarl #afieldtriplife #picturebookdogs @laurennolandhajik @christinabeeghly @roxannenoland
Military families are made up of heroes, those who Military families are made up of heroes, those who leave home to serve and those who stay behind. It isn’t easy to find books featuring military families, so I was excited to discover when AS MUCH as the STARS: A Story of Love Across the. Miles – A Child’s Goodbye/ AS MUCH AS THE STARS: A Story of love across The Miles: A Mother’s Farewell. I love flip books because they are clever and provide a fun way to read two stories told from different perspectives. AS MUCH AS THE STARS does an exceptional job of showing the love and emotions surrounding a deployment and then a joyous return. In this authentic, well-written story, one half follows a young girl and her relationship with her military father. The other half features the viewpoint of that girl, now grown, whose son leaves home to serve. warm and colorful illustrations add to the text showing the love that is shared even when they are separated by great distances.
This is a wonderful book for all families and will help everyone understand the sacrifices that our brave service members make. I just wish this book had been available when I was teaching children in military families.
Written by Forrest Zenone, Skyler Zenone, and Tricia Stone-Shumaker
Illustrations by Penny Weber
@poppysadventures1 @pennyweberart @laurennolandhajik #militaryfamilies #asmuchasthestars
#mrernierecommends
FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road a FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road around Whale Rock Reservoir
The story of how they got there reminds me of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” 
Read how these delicate blossoms came to grace the highways in San Luis Obispo County: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/johnny-appleseed-sweet-peas-planted-120000196.html

Lupine, poppies, and wild mustard are also blooming.

#sweetpeas #jackcreekfarms #roadtrip #afieldtriplife #missrumphius
I love finding new-to-me bookstores. @verbatim.boo I love finding new-to-me bookstores. @verbatim.books is a treasure!
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