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Home/Northshore/Supermoon
supermoon and lighthouse

Supermoon

It can be awe inspiring to glance up just before dark and see the full moon rising in the eastern sky and spotting a super moon when our neighbor is closest to the earth is amazing.

white round lighthouse on the edge of water near trees on sunny day
Tchefuncte River Lighthouse near Madisonville, Louisiana.

Next supermoon – october, 2025

If you missed seeing the supermoon November 15, 2024, you have to wait nearly a year to see it again. The next “super” full moon will occur October 7, 2025. And that will be followed by supermoons on November 5 and December 4, 2025. We were fortunate to have clear skies across Louisiana to enjoy this November’s full supermoon. And it was super! I photographed the event at two locations – the setting moon at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans and the rising moon at the state capitol in Baton Rouge. In both cases, I was positioned across the Mississippi River from the two landmarks, at Algiers Point and Port Allen.

full moon behind the spire of St. Louis Cathedral
The setting supermoon behind St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Nov. 15, 2024
rising full moon with Louisiana state capitol at dusk
Rising supermoon and the Louisiana State Capitol, Nov. 15, 2024
supermoon behind the top of the Louisiana state capitol
The rising supermoon at the top of the Louisiana state capitol, Nov. 15, 2024

my quest to photograph the full moon

I planned a supermoon photo shoot in September, picking a location with an interesting landmark to pair with the rising moon.  But to get to that spot, I needed a boat ride.  Captain Mike Jones of Louisiana Tours and Adventures picked me up along the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville.  I was carrying two backpacks loaded with camera gear and tripods.  The multiple cameras and telephoto lenses were needed to shoot the moon and record video of the adventure. 

two men on boats on river with orange life ring
Captain Mike Jones and Dave McNamara on the Tchefuncte River

FINDING A SUPER LOCATION FOR THE SUPERMOON

We boarded Captain Mike’s pontoon tour boat an hour before sunset and headed south to the end of the river a few miles away.  There is a classic 1837 lighthouse that stands on a small finger of land near the entrance to the river.  The lighthouse is the landmark I was hoping to pair with the rise of the supermoon.  And to get the right angle, I needed to be on the west side of the lighthouse, a location that can only be reached by water.

late afternoon sun behind clouds over lake
Clouds over Lake Pontchartrain before sunset and moonrise

Captain Mike is no stranger to this area.  He’s been doing guided tours along the Tchefuncte River for the past nine years, introducing visitors to this beautiful slice of Louisiana scenery.  The river is framed with moss-draped oaks and tall cypress trees.  White egrets and great blue herons are frequently seen wading along the shoreline or perched in branches overhanging the river.  Mike says he gets requests for moonlight cruises, which also provide a chance to see alligators.  “It’s the best time to see alligators because their eyes reflect the light at night,” Mike explains.

alligator swimming in water with green reflection of trees
An alligator waits for sunset in Lake Pontchartrain.

clouds get in the way

lighthouse and trees near water with pink clouds in sky
Clouds in the wrong place at the wrong time block the moon rise.

As we reached our vantage point near the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, the low-hanging clouds were blocking the horizon.  Although I was hoping for a break in the clouds to the east, that didn’t happen.  It was nearly dark when the full moon finally rose above the clouds.  At that height, it no longer had the massive appearance typical of a rising supermoon.  We did our best to get a few interesting pictures, but this was not the scene I was hoping for.  I planned to return a month later for the next supermoon.

supermoon moving above clouds in dark sky
The September supermoon finally rises above the clouds.
lighthouse with full moon in dark sky
Not the supermoon shot I was hoping for.

chasing the supermoon on tv

A Supermoon Adventure on the Heart of Louisiana.

Take two – another moon shot

Captain Mike picked me up at the same spot in Madisonville in October.  It was cool and the skies were clear.  The breeze that would rock our boat on the lake was buffered by land to the northeast.  The super moon would rise nearly a half-hour before sunset.  Not ideal, but it proved to be workable.  The giant full moon had already lifted above the treetops when we spotted it through the sunny evening haze in the eastern sky.  I set my cameras for a rapid-fire shutter release since the boat was moving in the small waves. I hoped that by taking multiple images, I would capture some that were nicely framed with the lighthouse and moon and the intermittent beacon. 

supermoon rises behind lighthouse in golden daylight of setting sun
The supermoon rises behind the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse.

a frenzy of picture-taking as moon rises

I don’t think I had ever experienced a ‘bigger’ full moon.  It was worth the effort and the challenge of shooting a long telephoto lens in a rocking boat that was drifting in the lake while the moon was also moving across the sky.  The experiences were wonderful and have me checking the calendar and weather forecast for the next full moon.

full moon near lighthouse on lake with sailboat in the background at sunset
Supermoon in the golden light of the setting sun.
supermoon behind point of lighthouse at twilight
A spectacular moon rise above the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse

Supermoon and comet

After returning to Madisonville, I took a brief detour before driving home.  I drove south to the lakeshore, away from the city lights, to catch a glimpse of the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, aka A3.  A dozen other vehicles were already there and groups of people searched the sky for the comet.  And it was there, barely visible with the naked eye, but easily captured with an IPhone.  As I drove across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on my way home, that bright supermoon was reflecting off the water.  A small portion of the moon was now blocked by the shadow of the earth in a partial lunar eclipse.  It was a great night to be outside!

Comet A3 streaks across sky
Comet A3 streaks through the sky above Lake Pontchartrain

Photographing Louisiana

shooting star in the milky way over Louisiana’s Kisatchie National Forest

Night Sky Adventures

    golden light from sunrise through cypress trees, water lilies and light fog at Lake Martin Nature Photographer

    Nature Photographer

      white egret near cypress trees with fall color in Louisiana swamp

      Louisiana Fall Color

        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        November 12, 2024
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        Categories: Featured, Northshore

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