Journal
Sunrises, sunsets and full moons
How the sky’s daily moments are calculated, the places where they are worth the journey, and the occasions people mark with them.
- Full moon
- Astronomy
- Sunset
Why the full moon rises as the sun sets
On the evening of a full moon, the moon comes up in the east as the sun goes down in the west. The geometry behind it, and why the timing is never exact.
- Gift ideas
- Birthday
- Sunrise
A birthday gift: the sunrise over the place they were born
The birthday sunrise over someone’s birthplace links their birthday to where they began. How to choose the point and the right morning.
- Places
- Full moon
The Taj Mahal by moonlight: night viewing and full moon dates
The Taj Mahal opens for limited night viewing around each full moon. How it works, which nights qualify, and the full moon night of 25–26 October 2026.
- Places
- Sunrise
Goraiko: watching sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji
Climbers time their ascent of Mount Fuji to reach the summit for sunrise, about 04:53 in early August. The season, the timing and what the view is like.
- Certificate
- Gift ideas
Printing and framing a certificate: sizes, paper and frames
A practical guide to printing a premium certificate at A4, A3, US Letter or 11×14: which size to pick, paper that works, and frames and mats that suit it.
- Places
- Sunrise
- New Year
Hatsuhinode: watching the first sunrise of the year in Japan
In Japan the first sunrise of the year is a tradition. Tokyo’s 2027 hatsuhinode is at about 06:51, Cape Inubō’s a little earlier. Where people watch.
- Astronomy
- Sunrise
The sun rises due east only around the equinoxes
Most days the sun rises north or south of east. Why, by how much, and how the rising point swings through the year at different latitudes.
- Gift ideas
- Astronomy
Gift ideas for someone who loves the night sky
Practical gifts for amateur astronomers and sky watchers, from binoculars and planispheres to a dedicated full moon night, and what actually gets used.
- Astronomy
- Sunset
The green flash: what it is and where to see it
For a second or two as the sun disappears, its last sliver can turn green. The physics of the green flash, the conditions it needs and how to improve your odds.
- Places
- Sunrise
- Astronomy
Stonehenge and the solstice sunrise: what lines up
At Stonehenge the midsummer sun rises close to the Heel Stone, and the midwinter sun sets opposite. What the alignment is, how exact it is, and how to visit.
- Life Moments
- Engagement
- Full moon
Marking an engagement with its first full moon night
An engagement is usually a private moment. Its first full moon night gives it a date and place to celebrate, often within days, and works as a quiet gift.
- Places
- Sunrise
Sunrise at Uluru: the viewing areas, times and rules
In mid-October the sun rises over Uluru’s country at about 06:11. Where to watch, how the rock changes colour, and the rules since the climb closed in 2019.
- Astronomy
- Sunrise
- Sunset
Golden hour and blue hour: when they really happen
Golden hour is not an hour and its timing depends on latitude and season. A clear explanation in degrees, with times for the equator, Paris and the far north.
- Life Moments
- Wedding
- Full moon
A wedding gift: the first full moon night of a marriage
Every marriage has a first full moon night, often within weeks of the wedding. How it is found for the place of the wedding, and why it suits a wedding gift.
- Places
- Sunset
Sunset in Oia, Santorini: timing it right
In mid-October the sun sets over the caldera at about 18:42. Where people watch from in Oia, how early to arrive, and why autumn is the better season.
- Full moon
- Astronomy
Full moon names month by month, and where they come from
Wolf, Snow, Harvest, Hunter’s, Beaver, Cold: the traditional full moon names, what they mean, and the dates of the next full moons in late 2026.
- In memory
- Gift ideas
- Sunrise
Remembering someone with a sunrise over a place they loved
A memorial gift does not need to be an object. How a sunrise or sunset over a meaningful place can mark an anniversary of loss, quietly and precisely.
- Places
- Polar
- Sunrise
Longyearbyen: four months without sunrise, then a festival
In Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the last sunrise of 2026 is on 26 October and the next on 16 February 2027. What happens between, and why the town waits until March.
- Astronomy
- Sunset
Why the setting sun looks flattened and oval
Near the horizon the sun often looks squashed, layered or even square. The cause is refraction, the same effect that adds two minutes to every day.
- Life Moments
- Anniversary
- Gift ideas
An anniversary gift that is not an object
The sunrise on your anniversary, over the place you married, happens once a year at a time you can calculate. How it works, including 29 February weddings.
- Places
- Sunset
- Sunrise
White nights in Saint Petersburg: when twilight lasts all night
At the June solstice the sun sets in Saint Petersburg at 22:25 and rises at 03:35. Between them the sky never gets dark. Dates, times and the astronomy.
- Full moon
- Astronomy
Which night is the full moon night? A precise answer
A full moon is an instant, but people celebrate a night. How Resthe chooses the night for any place on Earth, with examples from three time zones.
- Gift ideas
- Long distance
- Sunrise
Long-distance gifts: the same sunrise, eight time zones apart
When two people live far apart, a shared moment needs choosing with care. How sunrise moves around the world, and how to pick one that means something to both.
- Places
- Sunrise
Sunrise at Haleakalā: what to know before you go
Sunrise from Haleakalā’s 3,055 m summit on Maui needs a reservation, warm clothes and an early start. Times, conditions and why the sun appears early.
- Astronomy
- Sunrise
- Sunset
Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight, explained
Twilight is measured by how far the sun is below the horizon: 6°, 12° and 18°. What each stage looks like, how long it lasts, and why it varies by latitude.
- Life Moments
- New baby
- Gift ideas
A gift for a new baby: the first sunrise of their life
Every child’s first sunrise happens at one place and minute. How it is calculated from the time of birth, and why it makes a lasting gift for new parents.
- Life Moments
- Sunrise
- Anniversary
How many sunrises have you shared? Counting them exactly
Ten years in Paris is 3,652 sunrises; in Tromsø, 2,479. How sunrises are counted, why leap years and polar nights matter, and what the number means.
- Astronomy
- Sunset
- Sunrise
Why the earliest sunset is not on the shortest day
In Paris the earliest sunset of winter comes on 11 December and the latest sunrise on 31 December. The solstice sits between them. Here is why.
- Full moon
- Astronomy
The Hunter’s Moon of 26 October 2026
October’s full moon falls at 04:11 UTC on 26 October 2026. When to look, why it rises so early in the evening, and which night counts as the full moon night.
- Places
- Polar
- Sunrise
Polar night in Tromsø: the weeks without a sunrise
From late November to mid-January the sun does not rise over Tromsø. The exact dates for 2026–27, what the days look like, and why it is not total darkness.
- Astronomy
- Sunrise
What exactly counts as sunrise
Sunrise is not when the sun’s centre crosses the horizon. How the moment is defined, why refraction matters, and why two apps can disagree by a minute.