Total Lunar Eclipse Coming up on 3 March
The last total lunar eclipse until the very end of 2028 – nearly three years away – occurs just a few days from now: 3 March 2026. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to photograph it if you can.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
Sunlight. Moonlight. Starlight. Precision planning app for outdoor photographers.
Don’t miss the moment.
The best alignments are rare. The optimal light quickly fades.
Know where to be.
See exactly how the Sun, Moon, and more will rise, set, and move at your location.
Visualise the shot.
See light direction, shadows, and sightlines.
“Head and shoulders above the crowd is The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Odd name, great app.”
“One of the most useful apps for any nature photographer.”
Understand natural light
TPE is especially designed for photographers working with natural light. If you’re shooting landscape, wildlife, architecture, property, weddings, or natural‑light portraits, TPE will tell you everything you need to know about sunlight, moonlight and starlight.
- See the exact direction of sunrise and sunset on the ideal map for your location. Follow the changing direction of the Sun throughout the day as you adjust the selected time.
- Choose the dates you're interested in. Whether your trip is tomorrow or ten years from now, you can check light conditions in the past, present and future.
- The timeline includes key celestial events of the day, including rise, set, civil, nautical and astronomical twilight times, golden hour, moon phase events, new‑moon visibility and more.
Night or Day
Planning night photography? TPE has what you need: rise and set of the Galactic Centre, a 3D visualisation of the band of the Milky Way, meteor showers, and more. Our iOS app includes major stars, asterisms, and lunar eclipses, so you can plan the perfect ‘blood supermoon’ shot.
- TPE tells you when astronomical twilight ends, when the Moon is new, and when the Galactic Centre, the most photogenic part of the Milky Way, will rise; this is essential data for planning night photography.
- To achieve the perfectly composed Milky Way shot, you'll want to know how the band of stars will stretch across the sky. TPE gives you a 3D representation showing the orientation of the arch of the Milky Way, ideal for visualising your shot.
- See details of upcoming major meteor showers and more. Our iOS app shows lunar and solar eclipse information, plus positions of major stars and asterisms, such as the 'Teapot'.
3D Maps and Augmented Reality
When 2D isn’t enough, TPE includes 3D maps and AR to help you visualise and plan more effectively. Evaluate the angle of light or the position of the Sun, Moon, or Milky Way using our advanced tools.
- TPE for iOS includes AR (augmented reality), so you can see the Sun, Moon and Milky Way overlaid directly on your device's camera feed, ideal for scouting future shots on location, or getting perfectly lined up just before full moonrise.
- On desktops or laptops where AR is not available, TPE Web includes a 3D Celestial Sphere with visual search to hunt down the perfect alignment.
- For the ultimate 3D photo planning, use TPE 3D, a unique mobile app for iOS, to see a three‑dimensional map of the landscape lit by realistic directional light and shadows – perfect for landscape photographers composing photos with mountains or hills.
Recent Articles
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Architectural Photography, Part 5: Natural Light
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