Milky Way core — 21:10 to 22:30

12 subjects the forecast has resolved · open one to see what fires it

• Openverse contributor · CC0 1.0Milky Way core — 21:10 to 22:30Kissimmee Prairie Preserve — the darkest sky in the peninsula · 101 min · drone no — state parkSep 13today

  Fires when new-moon dark meets 0% forecast cloud and core above 20 degrees for 1.3 hours

  Next Sun, Sep 13 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 14–24mm at f/1.8 or faster, 15-20s at wide aperture, ISO 3200-6400, focus stacked foreground optional, on a tripod

  1.3 hours of true astronomical dark with the core above 20° and the moon below the horizon, peaking at 29°. The moon is 5% and down — this is as dark as this longitude gets. Forecast cloud 0%. The core never climbs past 29° at this latitude, so it sits low in the south — you need a southern horizon with no town behind it.

  This week: new-moon dark meets 0% forecast cloud and core above 20 degrees for 1.3 hours

  Everything about this shoot →

• Bubba73 · CC BY-SA 4.0Falcon 9 Block 5 | O3b mPower 11-13Titusville causeways / Space Coast · 100 min · drone no — launch TFRSep 13today

  Fires when launch falls this week but 40% slip risk means recheck at T-24h, refuge gate closes 7:32pm covering the evening window

  Next Sun, Sep 13 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–200mm at f/4 or faster, 1/1000s for ascent, wide for plume against sky, on a tripod

  Status In Flight from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. 40% of announced dates slip; commit at the T-24h recheck, not the calendar. ACCESS: Merritt Island NWR — Black Point and Bio Lab drives: 7:08am to 7:32pm.

  This week: launch falls this week but 40% slip risk means recheck at T-24h, refuge gate closes 7:32pm covering the evening window

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 8.7h of true dark, 21:00 to 05:40Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 13today

  Fires when warm water and near-new moon give longest true-dark window of the run but glow itself is unconfirmed

  Next Sun, Sep 13 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 8.7 hours of astronomical night — it is 6% lit, and barely there anyway. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: warm water and near-new moon give longest true-dark window of the run but glow itself is unconfirmed

  Everything about this shoot →

• Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · CC BY 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 8.2h of true dark, 21:30 to 05:40Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 14today

  Fires when 8.2h dark window still strong but moon fraction climbing

  Next Mon, Sep 14 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 8.2 hours of astronomical night — it is 12% lit, and barely there anyway. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: 8.2h dark window still strong but moon fraction climbing

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 7.5h of true dark, 22:10 to 05:40Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 15today

  Fires when dark window shrinking to 7.5h as moon brightens toward first quarter

  Next Tue, Sep 15 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 7.5 hours of astronomical night — it is 20% lit, and barely there anyway. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window shrinking to 7.5h as moon brightens toward first quarter

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 6.8h of true dark, 22:50 to 05:40Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 16today

  Fires when dark window down to 6.8h as rising moon eats into the night

  Next Wed, Sep 16 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 6.8 hours of astronomical night — it is 30% lit, which sounds unhelpful until you notice it has already set: what ends this show is a moon in the sky, not a moon in the sky chart. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window down to 6.8h as rising moon eats into the night

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 6.2h of true dark, 23:40 to 05:50Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 17today

  Fires when dark window shrinks to 6.2h with moon nearly half lit before it sets

  Next Thu, Sep 17 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 6.2 hours of astronomical night — it is 40% lit, which sounds unhelpful until you notice it has already set: what ends this show is a moon in the sky, not a moon in the sky chart. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window shrinks to 6.2h with moon nearly half lit before it sets

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 5.3h of true dark, 00:30 to 05:50Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 19today

  Fires when dark window down to 5.3h as moon crosses half-lit, diminishing returns

  Next Sat, Sep 19 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 5.3 hours of astronomical night — it is 51% lit, which sounds unhelpful until you notice it has already set: what ends this show is a moon in the sky, not a moon in the sky chart. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window down to 5.3h as moon crosses half-lit, diminishing returns

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 4.5h of true dark, 01:20 to 05:50Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 20today

  Fires when dark window shrinks to 4.5h with moon past 60% lit, marginal

  Next Sun, Sep 20 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 4.5 hours of astronomical night — it is 61% lit, which sounds unhelpful until you notice it has already set: what ends this show is a moon in the sky, not a moon in the sky chart. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window shrinks to 4.5h with moon past 60% lit, marginal

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Bioluminescent lagoon — 3.5h of true dark, 02:20 to 05:50Haulover Canal / Mosquito Lagoon, Merritt Island NWR · 108 min · drone no — national wildlife refuge, and it is pitch darkSep 21today

  Fires when dark window down to 3.5h with moon over 70% lit, low payoff

  Next Mon, Sep 21 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–50mm at f/1.8 or faster, long exposure, ISO 6400+, widest aperture available, on a tripod

  Lagoon water is 85.6°F at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, which is in the range Pyrodinium bahamense wants (80°F and up). The moon is below the horizon for 3.5 hours of astronomical night — it is 72% lit, which sounds unhelpful until you notice it has already set: what ends this show is a moon in the sky, not a moon in the sky chart. Paddle wash and fish tracks light blue-green; it reads better to the eye than to a sensor, so bring the fastest glass you own and accept the noise. What this cannot tell you is whether it is actually glowing: temperature and darkness are necessary, not sufficient, and no public feed reports bloom density. Call an outfitter before you drive.

  This week: dark window down to 3.5h with moon over 70% lit, low payoff

  Everything about this shoot →

• a stand-in, not thisMartin Mark · CC BY-SA 4.0Vulcan VC6L | Amazon Leo (LV-01)Titusville causeways / Space Coast · 100 min · drone no — launch TFRSep 29today

  Fires when new rocket type but no-earlier-than date only, nothing to act on yet

  Next Tue, Sep 29 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–200mm at f/4 or faster, tbd pending confirmed launch time, on a tripod

  Status TBD from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Launch Library has this no-earlier-than September 2026 and no closer: the Wed, Sep 30 you may see quoted elsewhere is the last day of that month standing in for the whole of it, not a date anybody has announced. Worth knowing it is coming; nothing to leave the house for until the range narrows to a day, which for a Cape flight is usually two to three weeks out. ACCESS: Merritt Island NWR — Black Point and Bio Lab drives: 7:08am to 7:32pm.

  This week: new rocket type but no-earlier-than date only, nothing to act on yet

  Everything about this shoot →

• Openverse contributor · CC0 1.0Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-13Titusville causeways / Space Coast · 100 min · drone no — launch TFRSep 29today

  Fires when no-earlier-than date only, nothing to shoot until range narrows to a day

  Next Tue, Sep 29 — the published start time. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out; check before you commit a four-hour drive to one.

  Wants 24–200mm at f/4 or faster, tbd pending confirmed launch time, on a tripod

  Status TBD from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Launch Library has this no-earlier-than September 2026 and no closer: the Wed, Sep 30 you may see quoted elsewhere is the last day of that month standing in for the whole of it, not a date anybody has announced. Worth knowing it is coming; nothing to leave the house for until the range narrows to a day, which for a Cape flight is usually two to three weeks out. ACCESS: Merritt Island NWR — Black Point and Bio Lab drives: 7:08am to 7:32pm.

  This week: no-earlier-than date only, nothing to shoot until range narrows to a day

  Everything about this shoot →