Can't see the fucken Moon

Stood out the back staring at an empty sky wondering what I'd broken. Checked the settings. Checked the exposure. Checked the histogram — a single spike jammed hard against the left edge, no light at all. Started suspecting the camera, the Barlow, the config.

The Moon hadn't risen.

It was bright and obvious last night so I assumed tonight would be the same. It rises about 50 minutes later every night. Last night's first capture was at 19:19. Tonight I was outside at 19:11 for a Moon that wasn't due until roughly 20:10.

An hour of hunting for a fault in equipment that was working perfectly, because I never asked the one question that costs nothing: is it even up?

Also worth checking now I've moved out the back for darker sky — the Moon rises in the east, and I need to make sure I haven't put the house between me and a Moon that is already going to be low when it arrives.