What luck! During my annual trip back home to Melbourne, Australia, we were blessed with a total lunar eclipse! Dad and I got up early, about 4:30am, to watch the proceedings. By the time, the Moon was already about 50% eclipsed, and it really didn't take long to get to totality. The image above is probably the best shot I took, for a series of about 200 or so. The image below was taken about 15 minutes prior to totality. Some high level clouds rolled in and started to obscure our view, plus I was shooting with a dewed zoom lens to was working against the odds a little at the time this specific shot was taken. It was very dark so the image above doesn't really reflect how dark it actually looked in the Western sky. It was great fun to be able to see this, though!
Great Pictures Phil...
ReplyDeleteOmega Centauri and a Lunar Eclipse from down under. Glad you had Clear Skies!
Dan
Thanks, Dan! Nice to have some astro fun while on holiday.
ReplyDeleteExcellent eclipse shots! I envy you the experience, having been clouded out of the last several. Glad you could share this one. Val
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome Phil.I've never seen a beeter lunar photo.;)
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!!
ReplyDeleteWow! That's amazing !
ReplyDeleteI have photos from this lunar eclipse as well . Unfortunately, I din't have a tri-pod at the time but I was still able to get some good shots, and during one point something had past the moon as I snapped the photo.
It was neat.
I'm really really enjoying reading you entries because I myself love stars and moons and the unknown of space ! :)
Look forward to reading more!
take care, may good luck come yoir way!
Glad you got to see it too, JuiceBox. Keep looking up!
ReplyDeleteHi! Just wondering where in Melbourne is good for lunar viewing? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - luckily the moon is so bright that you don't really need to go anywhere special. I observe and image the moon for my home in suburban Austin, Texas. When I used to live in Melbourne, I did the same from my yard in the SE suburbs. You can also observe most of the planets without issue from large cities. Anyway, no super dark skies needed fot the moon.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to observe other deep sky objects through a telescope, then dark skies ARE better. The Royal Astronomical Society of Melbourne has a dark sky site up near the airport (Tulla), but you can get very good observing just a short drive out of Melbourne (east or West). When I go back home I know take a short trip up to the Dandenong Randges for good viewing.
Cheers,
Phil
Anonymous - luckily the moon is so bright that you don't really need to go anywhere special. I observe and image the moon for my home in suburban Austin, Texas. When I used to live in Melbourne, I did the same from my yard in the SE suburbs. You can also observe most of the planets without issue from large cities. Anyway, no super dark skies needed fot the moon.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to observe other deep sky objects through a telescope, then dark skies ARE better. The Royal Astronomical Society of Melbourne has a dark sky site up near the airport (Tulla), but you can get very good observing just a short drive out of Melbourne (east or West). When I go back home I know take a short trip up to the Dandenong Randges for good viewing.
Cheers,
Phil