Worm Moonrise Over Brighton

The March Worm Moon—named for the earthworms that emerge as the ground thaws after winter—rising over Brighton's skyline required months of planning and an understanding of celestial mechanics that would make any astronomer proud. On the night of March 19th, 2022, I positioned myself across the water from Brighton, carefully calculating where the moon would crest the South Downs ridgeline behind the city.

Brighton's seafront is instantly recognizable: the Victorian Palace Pier on the right, the skeletal remains of the West Pier in the centre (destroyed by fire in 2003 and now a roosting site for starlings), and the modern i360 observation tower on the left. What makes this composition special is the precise alignment—I needed the Worm Moon to rise directly over the South Downs behind Brighton, creating this dramatic silhouette of the city against the orange glow of the rising moon.

Using my telephoto lens at 600mm from several kilometres away compressed the scene dramatically, making the moon appear enormous relative to Brighton's skyline. This compression effect is what creates the impact—the South Downs, the city, and the moon all stacked together in one frame. The technical challenge was the exposure difference: the bright cityscape of Brighton's waterfront lights required a 3.2-second exposure at ISO 400, while the moon needed a much faster 1/4 second at ISO 4000. I blended these two exposures to show both the moon's rich orange colour and the detail in Brighton's famous landmarks.

The East Sussex coastline provided the perfect vantage point that night. The Worm Moon's colour—that deep orange-red you see here—comes from the moon rising through the thickest part of Earth's atmosphere on the horizon, the same effect that makes sunsets red. As it climbed higher behind the South Downs, the colour would fade to the familiar white-yellow, so timing was critical to capture this dramatic hue over Brighton and Hove.

When you look at this photograph, I want you to feel that sense of cosmic alignment—watching the March Worm Moon crest the South Downs behind Brighton Pier, where Victorian seaside heritage meets one of nature's most predictable yet always spectacular celestial events on the Sussex coast.