Wanderer2 wrote:
<<5:30 a.m. for the moonset! Last time I photographed at that location (2015), I used a tripod. If I buy a new one, will it be less a pain than attempting to wring out the noise from a high ISO photo? >>
Yes, it will be less a pain, in fact no pain at all. Looking for maximum IQ for large prints, I use a tripod for the great majority of my landscape shots. No noise at ISO 100!