14 November 1940
Full Moon, 100% lit
The bomber's moon
The phrase "bomber's moon" comes from nights exactly like tonight, a full moon turning a blacked-out landscape back into a map.
Before radar navigation, a full moon lit rivers, coastlines and rail lines clearly enough to navigate by, and cities went to bed dreading a clear one. The raid on Coventry on 14 November 1940 was flown under a 100% moon, and the term stuck.
- Date
- 14 November 1940
- Moon computed for
- 19:00 local time, UTC+1
- Phase
- Full Moon
- Illuminated
- 100%
Source: Imperial War Museum