A 'Blood Moon' is coming this week - and will be visible to all in North America, New Zealand and eastern Australia. It is this spectacular event where the full moon turns red as the Moon is almost completely shadowed by the Earth. The eclipse will occur before dawn on Friday, November 19th – the dramatic mid-eclipse will occur at 4.02am EST in New York or 1.00am PST in California.
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This will be the first lunar eclipse since May 25-26, 2021 - and it will be the longest lunar eclipse in over 500 years, lasting almost three and a half hours. Although the Moon's orbit around Earth is a global phenomenon with a global schedule, whether or not our satellite will be above the horizon when it starts to turn strange colors will depend on the shadows, angles and quality of visible light where you are on the planet. Clear skies, of course, allow.
Unlike the May event, this will not be a total lunar eclipse. As explained by Space.com, "97.4% of the Moon's diameter will sink into Earth's dark shadow at maximum eclipse, with only the southernmost limb just slightly beyond the outer edge of the shadow".
What is a lunar eclipse?
The lunar eclipse, also called the 'Blood Moon', is caused by a full moon passing through Earth's shadow in space. The Moon orbits the Earth every 27 days; During this time, it passes roughly between the Earth and the Sun (an invisible New Moon), and 14 days later, it crosses over to the Sun (full moon) on the other side of the Earth. The latter sees its near side 100% illuminated by the Sun, but rarely passes right through the dark circular shadow of Earth in space.
When this happens - something that can take hours - the only light that can reach the lunar surface is first filtered through Earth's atmosphere. Short wavelength blue light from the Sun tends to hit particles in Earth's atmosphere, while longer wavelength red and orange light often passes directly through it.
The result is, of course, a 'Blood Moon', but in reality it is more of a copper-reddish colour.
Where and when should the 'Blood Moon' be seen?
will you see You can easily find out exactly when the eclipse will appear from any location. Ignore "half-shaded" eclipse times (the Moon only gets slightly opaque as it enters Earth's blurry outer shadow), but be outside when the partial eclipse begins.
However, the 'maximum eclipse' is when you need to be ready – and this is 09:02:55 Universal Time on November 19, 2021. Take into account how high the Moon will be in the sky (altitude) and also note its position. compass direction.
You can also edit the Moon's position in the sky and your angles from your location using The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) and PhotoPills.
How to photograph a lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipses are usually long, lazy spectacles where you can try a few things, fail, and try again. This is not so, so before you focus your camera and manually change the settings, you should make a plan and practice.
Photographing a 'Blood Moon' is much easier than a solar eclipse, but it is very short; You have less than 15 minutes to get a good picture of a copper-colored lunar surface. Moreover, the Moon's path will shift near the inner edge of Earth's dark shadow, so the upper half of the Moon is expected to remain quite bright.
The equipment you need, how to focus and settings
Or you'll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a 300mm telephoto lens on a tripod for a close-up of the Moon - but ideally a camera that's at least 600mm tall. Alternatively, a built-in superzoom bridge camera will do the trick. Make sure you focus your lens correctly. Using infinity focus might work depending on your lens. An alternative that will work for all lenses is to use your camera's LCD to look at a zoomed-in part of the Moon and then focus until it's sharp (using manual or autofocus, but the latter you'll have to get through later). manual mode to prevent your camera from refocusing for the next shot).
How to photograph the full moon
Here's something the whole world can do - wherever you are in the world there will be a full moon for you to photograph. . Start by setting your camera to ISO 100, f/10 and 1/125sec, but the exact settings will depend on your lens and rapidly changing light.
Next lunar eclipse
If it's cloudy tonight - then there are two opportunities for North Americans to see a lunar eclipse in 2022. According to Space.com, "The first will take place on May 15-16 and the second on November 8". "Both will be visible across most of North America, with the first "prime-time" coming from evening to midnight, while the second (again) taking place in the early morning. Final stages for those living in the East.