Lunar Eclipse, a photo from カリフォルニア, West

Photographer's Note

The December 21 Lunar Eclipse was a spectacular event seen across North America. With 73 minutes of totality, viewers with clear weather were treated to a blood red moon - red due to the Rayleigh scattering from the Earth's atmosphere reflecting the shorter wavelengths away.

Lunar eclipses are rare - since although the moon is full each month, it rarely passes directly into the Earth's umbra. In fact, the last one was almost 3 years ago - the subject of the third photo uploaded here on TE.

Of course, you might wonder what a photograph of the moon is doing on a site called TrekEarth. Which is a valid question - especially since TrekMoon doesn't exist - atleast not yet. However, what you're looking at is indeed the Earth, or rather, it's shadow on the moon. In reality, the moon covers a much larger angular distance across the sky; however, I have arranged the phases so that the umbra of the Earth's shadow is stationary.

If it is difficult to see the shadow of the Earth here, take a look at the workshop I've posted. It's amazing to think that somewhere in that edge of the Earth is a really blurred shadow of the Eiffel tower.

After taking the ratio of the diameters of the terrestrial umbra and the orb of the moon I found, after a bit of calculation, that the current earth-moon distance was about 386000 km. That is at least in the right range (it varies between 405000 and 363000 km).

worldcitizen, CLODO, magalik, ahtiwana, Angshu, bona, happypoppeye has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

worldcitizen (16232) 2010-12-24 18:41

Hello Biswaroop,
This is an amazing capture of the eclipse! The sharpness and colors are wonderful. I didn't see the eclipse - it occurred at a little past 3:OOAM in my area - but I am able to enjoy the view through your photo. Very informative note, too!

batalay (41261) 2010-12-24 18:44

Hello Biswaroop,

A spectacular shot of the moon showing the eclipse developing in serial order. I am proud to see a physics student, but not at all surprised. I plan to open free up some space among my 'favorites' in order to put the photo in their. It is bound to become a classic. Take a look at 典hat's Amore" where I used an 7" Questar shooting the moon. I wish I had shot the moon on Dec. 23 with the same telescope.

Warm regards,

Bulent

humayun (3129) 2010-12-24 21:58

hi dear.......
very nice work..........
Wonderful contrast in this picture, Nicely played with BW. Composition is very good..................
weldon........
Tfs.........

CLODO (45118) 2010-12-25 0:58

Hello

hats off for this amazing sequence!
Cheers
CLODO

magalik (6103) 2010-12-25 6:23

Hi Biswaroop,

You don't imagine how much I'm happy to see you back. I looked at your gallery between whiles but didn't see new posts and I thought you left the site and it was making me sad and contributed to my loss of motivation to come back also. I will also come back soon.
Very interesting post. I haven't a great knowledge in astronomy but I looked at the moon the 21 dec and I was very surprised by its orange/red color and without explanations. Interesting to know why. I regret not having taken a shot seeing your one. I didn't see as many details. You made a beautiful work, it's a very nice photomontage, very teaching and enriching. Interesting to see the rotation of the moon around the earth from that angle.
Thanks for this trek on the moon.
Best wishes.
Cheers,

Magali

blueaquan (34) 2010-12-25 10:43

Hi Swaroop
Amazing is not the word, the day after the eclipse carried Photographs in the morning daily, of the Moon the way it looked on the other side of the Globe, and they were just the way you've Photographed it. The Red especially is simply brilliant.
In comparision, what I saw and shot in India was too childish and naive. :)

Cheers, Blue

unsalan (149) 2010-12-25 14:20

Hi, thank you for sharing this special photo :)
Unsal

emka (158900) 2010-12-27 14:57

Hello Biswaroop,

Fantastic composition, wonderful idea and gorgeous presentation. beautiful graphic effect and very good note.
Have a Happy New Year

MAlgo

Angshu (56760) 2010-12-27 22:38

Hello Biswaroop
A classic as Bulent had mentioned! Too fascinating beyond my belief...a merger of your Physics brain & photography! This is much more than TrekEarth...this is something beyond! Excellent stuff!

"It's amazing to think that somewhere in that edge of the Earth is a really blurred shadow of the Eiffel tower." thik bujhlamna! Tomar imagination diye bolchho ki?

Best,
Angshu

anupam06 (773) 2010-12-28 0:11 [Comment]

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bona (15057) 2010-12-28 1:42

This is really spetacular. How did you take this photo? The details are great. TFS.
Andre

Signal-Womb (13048) 2011-01-16 15:28

Hello Biswaroop,
Very nice sequence capture of this Lunar Eclipse. I was unaware of this event as I was going out on a early morning shoot at 6.30am when I noticed out my kitchen window and Full moon the day before was a half moon. It took me a few seconds to figure out there must be an Eclipse. I pull out my 6" refrator and positioned the moon only to my frustration I could not find my Canon T-adaptor. Missed a great opportunity, if I had of known of this occurrence though I would have planed a shoot at an ancient megalith site nearby.

Very Well Done.

ceky (2592) 2011-02-05 12:03

Hi Biswaroop
Congratulations for this both very graphical and very interesting picture of the late 2010 lunar eclipse, with additional technical information in the note and the WS ! I wonder whether a picture with five non intersecting moonballs would have been more or less attractive...
Best regards
Georges

rkh (6) 2011-08-13 18:09

This is a remarkable photo, beautifully executed. I have added it to my favorites. Is it a multiple exposure or a collage?

The photo reminds me of the passage from Joel 2:31, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."