Moonrise Through Mauna Keas Shadow . ... Credit Copyright: Michael Connelley ( U. Hawaii ) Explanation: How can the Moon rise through a mountain? ... Additionally, the Moon has just passed full phase -- were it precisely at full phase it would rise, possibly eclipsed , at the very peak of the shadow. ... Cloud tops below Mauna Kea's summit have unusually flat tops, indicating a decrease in air moisture that frequently keeps the air unusually dry, another attribute of this stellar observing site . ...