The Full Moon Rises over the Cumberland Plateau

Every once in a while, you see something that you've never seen before and wonder if it's really that rare.

For those of you that don't know your astronomy, the moon is full when it's on the other side of the Earth from the Sun. So, when we get close to the longest day of the year, both the sun and the full moon can be in the sky at the same time, but on different sides of the sky. The setting sun produces a warm glow at a time of day we photographers call the Golden Hour. On a clear day at dusk, the sky can be a color that I can only think to describe as "Mixed Berry Yogurt."

I was driving along the backroads of Middle Tennessee somewhere in Warren County close to dusk when there was a break in the trees surrounding the street. That's when I saw this unexpected sight, and maybe it was something I'd never seen before. People always say the moon looks bigger when it's near the horizon compared to when it's directly overhead, but it's really an optical illusion. Of course you can make the moon look even bigger when you use your longest zoom lens and then crop the photo, too.