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Moonlighting – What It Is and How We Copy It Moonlighting is obviously an attempt to create lighting that mimics light from the moon. We love moonlight – it creates a compelling landscape washed with light of a certain unique quality - bright enough to reveal the landscape, but dim enough to create a mood of mystery and romance. Walking about in a moonlit landscape is an experience of being bathed in cool and soothing light. Sunlight, on the other hand, is hot and harsh. Moonlight also subdues color (due to the low level of illuminance) giving a monochromatic appearance that further distances the experience from daytime. When we understand the qualities of real moonlight, we are better equipped to create artificial moonlight. Real Moonlight Artificial Moonlight Widespread across landscape Multiple fixtures with wide beam spreads to cover large areas Projects through trees to create compelling shadows Fixtures mounted high in trees to project through leaves creating compelling shadows Color temperature: 4,150K Color temperature: 2,700K – 4,150K Illuminance level: 0.04 - 0.01 footcandle Illuminance level: 0.1 footcandle and below The Color of Moonlight (and Moonlighting) First, let's recognize that moonlight is actually sunlight reflected off the moon's surface. This reflected light then travels through earth's atmosphere and becomes more reddish or bluish just as sunlight changes color as it rises and sets. While moonlight is often thought of as blue, it is actually far less blue than daylight. The color temperature of moonlight (when directly overhead – at midnight) is about 4,150K. The color temperature of daylight (when hazy) is about 5,120K – far bluer. The misconception of the blueness of moonlight leads many designers to use blue filters in their tree light fixtures. While some claim to prefer this effect, there is a strong case to made for keeping with the 2,700K incandescent-appearing light source. To understand why many keep with the warmer color lamps for moonlighting, we need to recognize a few things. First, all landscape light sources in a scene should be the same color temperature (a scene being the extent of property visible at one time). Varying color temperatures in a scene calls unwanted attention to the lighting fixtures and creates a less natural impression. This can spoil the mood. The second reason to stay with warm color temperatures relates to the overall feeling of the illumination. While a bluish light may evoke moonlight, it does not feel warm or welcoming. Bluish light is perceived as cool and emotionless. When landscape lighting designers create moonlighting, they want to evoke some of the feelings and compelling qualities of moonlight. However, they actually improve on moonlight with regard to creating a warm and welcoming illumination. The Brightness of Moonlight (and Moonlighting) Moonlight varies in brightness according to the moon phase and location in the sky. The brightest possible moonlight has an illuminance of about 0.04 fc, but that is rarely seen and a more typical maximum value in the Northern hemisphere would be 0.01 fc. Coincidentally, this is the same level that marks the shift in human vision from cone-predominant vision (senses colors) to rod-predominant vision (does not sense color). In other words, even under a bright full moon, colors can barely be distinguished. Just as we intentionally make moonlight warmer for a more welcoming appearance, we also make it somewhat brighter than actual moonlight. We need the extra brightness for safety and security and to best match the brightness of other landscape lighting on the property. However, many designers make moonlighting overly bright with the result that it calls too much attention to itself and makes the lighting less believable. Designers should aim for illuminance levels no higher than 0.1 fc for most moonlighting, although some landscape features may require more light due to their darker colors, light-absorbing properties or the presence of ambient light. The guiding principal behind moonlighting is to make sure the shadow effects are visible – but only barely so – to minimize the contrast between light and shadow. Creating the Moonlighting Design Moonlighting creates either regions of dappled light or regions of unobstructed pools of light. It is an economical lighting in that one downlight from a tree can take the place of two or three path lights. Start by identifying regions that are accessible to suitable trees. Try to achieve as many of the lighting goals as possible using these tree lights. If you can provide safety, security, and beauty (for both landscape and architecture) with tree lights alone, then go for it. A downlight can also be used as a spotlight focused on a sculpture, a decorative planter, a specimen tree or anything that can be used as a visual focal point in the design. Selecting Fixtures for Moonlighting Fixtures used for Moonlighting must have the following qualities: Easy mounting Offset from the tree bark Water ingress prevention (especially along the wire entering the fixture) Brass construction for maximum corrosion protection Adjustable glare shield The fixture we recommend for moonlighting effects is the VOLT® Top Dog Downlight. This light is constructed of cast brass and features a shroud that can be extended or shortened (and rotated) for optimal glare shielding. Where to Install the Fixtures Placement of the fixture itself is dictated by several factors: Tree height and structure. Tree must be tall and sturdy enough for fixtures to be mounted at least 20 feet from the ground; and branch structure must allow for enough light to project through vegetation for a dappled, shadow effect – though in some cases a simple unobstructed pool of light is OK Tree location. Tree must be situated near area to be illuminated. Tree health. Never install fixtures in a diseased or compromised tree – an arborist should be consulted if you have any doubt about this – he can also advise you on how to trim the tree without damaging it. Glare potential. To avoid direct glare into the viewers' eyes, mount the fixture at a minimum angle of 45???(R)???AE? (measured from viewer's eye-location to the fixture). A simple guide is to imagine the viewer walking to the edge of the target illuminated area. Measure the distance from the viewer to the tree trunk. Add 5 ft. to that value to get the minimum mounting height. Conclusion Moonlight is an iconic and compelling type of illumination that inspires everyone. However, lighting designers recognize that certain aspects of moonlight (such as dappled shadows and wide pools of light) are beneficial to the design while other aspects (such as bluer light and extremely low light levels) can be detrimental. With this knowledge, the designer creates highly effective moonlighting effects that greatly enhance the viewers' experience. VOLT Lighting® manufactures and distributes high-performance products direct to lighting professionals nationwide. For more information, go to www.voltlighting.com.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
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