Question about my photos of a Full Moon -- What is this point of light?

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In summary: That's why you might see it in different positions in successive photos. If you've ever been on a car ride at night and seen the headlights of oncoming cars in the rearview mirror, that's how it would look.
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Graham 1956
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I have just taken three photos of the full moon. I am in Southern Spain and the photos were taken around 22.40 (CET).
In each of the three photos, taken within seconds of each other, there is a bright point of light (a dot). In one frame it is in front of the surface of the moon. In the other two frames, it can be seen in the top right quarter of the sky next to the moon (in different positions). A year or two ago, I took a similar succession of photos and saw the same thing. On that occasion, I took more frames and the bright dot could be seen in each of them, but never in the same position. Because of the speed that these frames were taken, it could look like it was a single point of light travelling across the face of the moon and travelling off to the side, and going behind the moon (maybe, that's just fanciful?)
Can anyone explain what this is, please?

I would add the frames here, but I can't see a way to upload photos.
 
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Graham 1956 said:
I would add the frames here, but I can't see a way to upload photos.
There should be a button marked "Attach files" just below the reply box. A thumbnail should appear below the reply box once you've selected a file, and it should have a button marked "Insert..." over it. Click that and select Full image.

Or if you are using the reply box in rich text editor mode, click the image button in the bar at the top of the box (it's rectangular with a stylised sun and mountains) and use that option.

Edit: by the way, the forum software automatically resizes large images and small features can be lost. You might want to post the images and also cropped images of just the part with the bright dot. Or host the images elsewhere and link.
 
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Uploading the photos would certainly help, but what you are describing sounds a lot like a satellite. Are you usually able identify satellites when you see them with your naked eye? You can confirm a satellite and which one with planetarium software such as stellarium.
 
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russ_watters said:
what you are describing sounds a lot like a satellite.
That would be my guess too. "Going behind the moon" is more likely "going in front of the moon and being lost against a bright background".
 
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Graham 1956 said:
I have just taken three photos of the full moon. I am in Southern Spain and the photos were taken around 22.40 (CET).
In each of the three photos, taken within seconds of each other, there is a bright point of light (a dot). In one frame it is in front of the surface of the moon. In the other two frames, it can be seen in the top right quarter of the sky next to the moon (in different positions). A year or two ago, I took a similar succession of photos and saw the same thing. On that occasion, I took more frames and the bright dot could be seen in each of them, but never in the same position. Because of the speed that these frames were taken, it could look like it was a single point of light travelling across the face of the moon and travelling off to the side, and going behind the moon (maybe, that's just fanciful?)
Can anyone explain what this is, please?

I would add the frames here, but I can't see a way to upload photos.
The International Space Station comes to mind. It's very visible to the naked eye. It doesn't sound like Elon Musk's Starlink satellites since you would see a string of them.
 
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As the Earth rotates, a geostationary satellite would take about two minutes to cross the full width of the face of the Moon.
 
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1. What is the point of light in my photos of the Full Moon?

The point of light in your photos of the Full Moon is most likely a planet or a bright star. It is common for planets and stars to appear as points of light in photos of the Moon due to their proximity and brightness in the night sky.

2. Why does the point of light appear to move in my photos?

The point of light may appear to move in your photos due to the Earth's rotation. As the Earth rotates, the position of the Moon in the night sky changes, causing the point of light (planet or star) to appear to move in relation to the Moon.

3. Can I determine which planet or star is the point of light in my photos?

Yes, you can determine which planet or star is the point of light in your photos by comparing the location and brightness of the point of light to a star chart or astronomy app. This will help you identify the specific planet or star that is visible in your photos.

4. Why does the point of light appear brighter in some of my photos?

The brightness of the point of light may vary in your photos due to factors such as atmospheric conditions, the angle at which you took the photo, and the camera settings used. These factors can affect the amount of light that is captured in the photo and can result in the point of light appearing brighter in some photos than others.

5. Is there a way to prevent the point of light from appearing in my photos of the Full Moon?

Unfortunately, there is no way to completely prevent the point of light from appearing in your photos of the Full Moon. However, you can try adjusting your camera settings, using a tripod to stabilize the camera, and choosing a location with minimal light pollution to improve the quality of your photos and reduce the appearance of the point of light.

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