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IT’S been called a once-in-a-lifetime lunar trifecta and Aussies will have one of the best seats in the house. Later this month, we are set to witness a rare lunar event dubbed the “super red blue moon” as three lunar phenomena converge at the same time. “The title ‘super red blue moon’ sounds a bit peculiar, but it describes an event where three separate lunar conditions come together simultaneously,” said Professor Bill Boyd, from the School of Environment, Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University. Each of the lunar events have their own life cycle but this year they all happen at the same time and “barring cloud cover, we will get as good a view anybody in the world, here in Australia, certainly on the east coast,” he said. A super moon occurs at the point when our moon reaches its closest distance to earth during its elliptic orbit, some 25,000km closer than on average. As a result, it appears much bigger and about 30 per cent brighter. As for the red part, that happens during a lunar eclipse when the sun, earth and moon perfectly align and the moon passes directly through the earth’s shadow. “The spectacular thing this time is that it’s going to pass fully into the middle of the shade, and as it does it gets more and more covered in shadow,” Professor Boyd said. But instead of going dark, the way the sunlight refracts around the Earth gives the moon a red hue as some of the sunlight entering the Earth’s atmosphere, notably the red spectrum, is scattered in a way that gently illuminates the moon behind. Sometimes called a blood moon, it is a rare astronomical event when a swollen super moon and lunar eclipse combine. As for the blue, that’s somewhat of a misnomer. Instead of referring to a visible colour, it is a name commonly used to describe a second full moon in a month. “Normally we get one full moon in a month but the lunar cycle, the lunar months if you like, are slightly shorter than the solar ones, and so we have an extra moon every now and then.” Traditionally the term referred to a fourth full moon in a season “but it’s now come to be thought of as the second moon in a month”. The event will take place in the middle of the night on January 31 and has avid stargazers and celestial photographers chomping at the bit. “This is an extremely unusual occurrence. It will be unlikely for all three celestial events to converge again within the next century,” Professor Boyd said. He was planning to set up shop on a headland on the east coast with a good vantage point to the north but after hearing about a group of local stargazers in Lismore, it might turn out to be a rather more festive event than he first thought. “These are amateur stargazers and apparently they’re talking about setting up an event ... where I assume they’ll get out their telescopes and make a bit of a party of it,” he said. “I think there’s going to be these little parties all over the place. I’ve been told the lighthouse at Byron Bay is likely to be extremely popular.” Across the New South Wales’ North Coast and Gold Coast, the super red blue moon starts at 10.48pm eastern standard time on January 31, eclipsing fully from 11.51pm to 1.07am, and ending at 2.11am.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/technology/science/january-to-end-with-lunar-trifecta-to-eclipse-all-others/news-story/5061ee1a90a83a76890be01aea99aa24

That's great - I might take a photo with my DSLR & telephoto lens.

And I might take a shot or two with my Russian mirror lens on a Nikon body

Nice clear sky out here in the bush, I checked the Moon tonight, it's intensely bright and to the north, can see it quite clearly. Hope there's no clouds on 31st

Looking forward to seeing this event. Last time I saw a blood moon was a few years ago. I was at work, and I wish I could have taken a few snap shots of the moon. If possible, I might go up Mt Archer and get a better view.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 29^th, 2018 at 8:41pm:

That's great - I might take a photo with my DSLR & telephoto lens.

I look forward to that.. if you can stops the shake!!

may pay to use a couple of different lenses

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Jan 30^th, 2018 at 7:40pm:

Bobby. wrote on Jan 29th, 2018 at 8:41pm: That's great - I might take a photo with my DSLR & telephoto lens. I look forward to that.. if you can stops the shake!! may pay to use a couple of different lenses

I can put it on a tripod & use the remote shutter cable - no wobbling!

How often do these things happen?

Once in a ... ?     :-/

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 30^th, 2018 at 7:54pm:

How often do these things happen? Once in a ... ?     :-/

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/super-blue-blood-moon-where-and-when-to-view-the-rare-lunar-treat-20180130-h0qt8k.html

Australia is in the hot seat for a visual spectacle of a lifetime with a super blue blood moon full eclipse set to grace our skies on Wednesday night.

This rare phenomenon was last seen in Australia in 1982.
However, for the western hemisphere, the last lunar trifecta occurred in 1866, more that 150 years ago.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 30^th, 2018 at 8:03pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 30th, 2018 at 7:54pm: How often do these things happen? Once in a ... ?     :-/ http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/super-blue-blood-moon-where-and-when-to-view-the-rare-lunar-treat-20180130-h0qt8k.html Australia is in the hot seat for a visual spectacle of a lifetime with a super blue blood moon full eclipse set to grace our skies on Wednesday night. This rare phenomenon was last seen in Australia in 1982. However, for the western hemisphere, the last lunar trifecta occurred in 1866, more that 150 years ago.

So, once in a blue moon then?     :o

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 30^th, 2018 at 8:04pm:

So, once in a blue moon then?     :o

Perhaps it's once in a lifetime Greggy so get out that camera.
Maybe your shot will grace the front page of the newspaper?

Super blue blood moon  ::)

It's a total lunar eclipse when the moon is at perigee (actually not quite that close in this case).  It's not significantly different from any other lunar eclipse.

Lunar eclipses occur on average every two and a half years. The next one is on the 28th July this year. Watch it and tell me if you see any significant difference from this one.

A blue moon is when you get two moons in a month. Nothing to do with the color. Again, not a big deal.

John_Taverner wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 7:16am:

Super blue blood moon  ::) It's a total lunar eclipse when the moon is at perigee (actually not quite that close in this case).  It's not significantly different from any other lunar eclipse.

It's been turning into a bit of a media frenzy

Blue moon - second full moon in a calendar month, doesn't look any different (technically not even a blue moon in most of Australia)
Blood Moon - total eclipse happens every few years
Super Moon - marketing phrase for a moon that is slightly bigger (but not noticeably so)

It will be a nice sight tonight but once-in-a-lifetime? Thats just media hype   

The_Barnacle wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 8:25pm:

John_Taverner wrote on Jan 31st, 2018 at 7:16am: Super blue blood moon  ::) It's a total lunar eclipse when the moon is at perigee (actually not quite that close in this case).  It's not significantly different from any other lunar eclipse. It's been turning into a bit of a media frenzy Blue moon - second full moon in a calendar month, doesn't look any different (technically not ven a blue moon in most of Australia) Blood Moon - total eclipse happens evry few years Super Moon - marketing phrase for a moon that is slightly bigger (but not noticeably so) It will be a nice sight tonight but once-in-a-lifetime? Thats just media hype

Dear Barnacle ,
don't rain on the parade.
It can be quite a spiritual experience to see such an event.
It's going to be a bit late for me to capture it -
damn job commitments take me away from what I want to do.

Bobby. wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 8:48pm:

don't rain on the parade.

I'm being realistic
It will be a nice sight
But it won't be once in a lifetime

The_Barnacle wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 9:03pm:

Bobby. wrote on Jan 31st, 2018 at 8:48pm: don't rain on the parade. I'm being realistic It will be a nice sight But it won't be once in a lifetime

Sure - it happens every few years or so.

cant see it....  total cloud cover.

I can - here is an early pic with my DSLR & telephoto:

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1.2.18 -    12.05 am

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Very good Bobby. I missed it, full cloud cover all night

Did you zoom the red moon shot in an editing program before posting it? A "stack" pixel is plain to see on the extreme right side of image. Not usually seen so plainly at normal size

A firmware problem is the cause I believe

My mobile phone camera obviously is not pixelated enough to take good photos. But I did watch for 30 minutes whilst the moon eclipsed.

In other news, I wonder if people have to reluctantly fulfill some promises hastily made for this day?

Bias_2012 wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 12:39am:

Very good Bobby. I missed it, full cloud cover all night Did you zoom the red moon shot in an editing program before posting it? A "stack" pixel is plain to see on the extreme right side of image. Not usually seen so plainly at normal size A firmware problem is the cause I believe

It would have been much sharper with a proper telescope.
I just used a DSLR with a 300mm telephoto lens on a tripod
& a remote shutter switch - in manual mode.
It was a 1 second exposure - I think.
No stacking program -
just cropped in Photoshop - exact size photo.
That "pixel" might be a star.

UnSubRocky wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 2:53am:

My mobile phone camera obviously is not pixelated enough to take good photos. But I did watch for 30 minutes whilst the moon eclipsed. In other news, I wonder if people have to reluctantly fulfill some promises hastily made for this day?

I doubt that a mobile phone camera would be any good for a shot like that.

Nice one bobby..

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 6:21am:

Nice one bobby..

Thanks Mechanic,
I might be able to make a clearer shot if I can find a program to stack a whole series of photos.
( I took many shots )

cheers
Bobby

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 5:47am:

That "pixel" might be a star.

It's a bit distracting, I'd use Photoshop's Healing Brush or Clone to eliminate it.

The "star" is not in your first image, which makes me think it's a stack pixel. A "stack" pixel is a "dead" pixel, but coloured. "Dead" pixels are black 




Bobby. wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 6:25am:

I might be able to make a clearer shot if I can find a program to stack a whole series of photos. ( I took many shots )

You can do "stacking" in Photoshop using "Layers"


This link explains it ... click off the "Check In" wall when it comes up, click "No Thanks"

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-improve-your-long-exposure-with-photo-stacking/

Bias_2012 wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 12:57pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 5:47am: That "pixel" might be a star. It's a bit distracting, I'd use Photoshop's Healing Brush or Clone to eliminate it. The "star" is not in your first image, which makes me think it's a stack pixel. A "stack" pixel is a "dead" pixel, but coloured. "Dead" pixels are black  Bobby. wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 6:25am: I might be able to make a clearer shot if I can find a program to stack a whole series of photos. ( I took many shots ) You can do "stacking" in Photoshop using "Layers" This link explains it ... click off the "Check In" wall when it comes up, click "No Thanks" https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-improve-your-long-exposure-with-photo-stacking/

Thanks - Photoshop stacked OK.
I used a bit of luminance from the first shot & some sharpening as well. ( and gave it a colour boost)
Not bad for a telephoto lens:

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Bobby to get a sharper photo of the moon you need a faster shutter speed. The moon is actually moving fast and with 300mm you should be using about 1/125 @ f8

Gordon wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 10:39pm:

Bobby to get a sharper photo of the moon you need a faster shutter speed. The moon is actually moving fast and with 300mm you should be using about 1/125 @ f8

You could on a telescope but not a telephoto lens.
I could only get a pic with 1 second exposures when the Moon
was eclipsed by the Earth - it's much dimmer.
For the first pic above with the Moon not in shadow
I was using 1/1000 th of a second.

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 10:50pm:

Gordon wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:39pm: Bobby to get a sharper photo of the moon you need a faster shutter speed. The moon is actually moving fast and with 300mm you should be using about 1/125 @ f8 You could on a telescope but not a telephoto lens. I could only get a pic with 1 second exposures when the Moon was eclipsed by the Earth - it's much dimmer. For the fist pic above with the Moon not in shadow I was using 1/1000 th of a second.

What iso?

Gordon wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 10:51pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:50pm: Gordon wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:39pm: Bobby to get a sharper photo of the moon you need a faster shutter speed. The moon is actually moving fast and with 300mm you should be using about 1/125 @ f8 You could on a telescope but not a telephoto lens. I could only get a pic with 1 second exposures when the Moon was eclipsed by the Earth - it's much dimmer. For the fist pic above with the Moon not in shadow I was using 1/1000 th of a second. What iso?

ISO 400

Bobby. wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 11:10pm:

1.2.18 -    12.05 am

Magnificent, thanks Bobby

wow... you can nearly see the moon landing...

why can't the Hubble take extra close up pictures of the moon?

I think the Hubble can only focus on things further away.
I took a pic with my box brownie but i have to wait for the slides to be developed.
A great sight with the naked eye!

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2018 at 4:37am:

wow... you can nearly see the moon landing... why can't the Hubble take extra close up pictures of the moon?

The Hubble can take close up pics of the Moon.

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 10:52pm:

Gordon wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:51pm: Bobby. wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:50pm: Gordon wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 10:39pm: Bobby to get a sharper photo of the moon you need a faster shutter speed. The moon is actually moving fast and with 300mm you should be using about 1/125 @ f8 You could on a telescope but not a telephoto lens. I could only get a pic with 1 second exposures when the Moon was eclipsed by the Earth - it's much dimmer. For the fist pic above with the Moon not in shadow I was using 1/1000 th of a second. What iso? ISO 400

There ya go,  better off with higher ISO then using a noise filter.

Bobby. wrote on Feb 1^st, 2018 at 5:53am:

UnSubRocky wrote on Feb 1st, 2018 at 2:53am: My mobile phone camera obviously is not pixelated enough to take good photos. But I did watch for 30 minutes whilst the moon eclipsed. In other news, I wonder if people have to reluctantly fulfill some promises hastily made for this day? I doubt that a mobile phone camera would be any good for a shot like that.

Yeah... no schitt. Like I just told you. Only found out the quality after I took the photo. The camera is only good for up close photographs.

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2018 at 4:37am:

wow... you can nearly see the moon landing... why can't the Hubble take extra close up pictures of the moon?

Is it not more concerned with taking photos of deep space?

Bobby. wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2018 at 7:26am:

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2nd, 2018 at 4:37am: wow... you can nearly see the moon landing... why can't the Hubble take extra close up pictures of the moon? The Hubble can take close up pics of the Moon.

That would be as much overkill as swatting a fly by firing a bazooka at the insect.

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2018 at 4:37am:

wow... you can nearly see the moon landing... why can't the Hubble take extra close up pictures of the moon?

The Hubble Space telescope isn't designed to view very bright tiny objects. It's designed to view larger very faint objects.

However NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which went into orbit around the moon in 2009 has taken photos of Apollo landing sites.

http://i67.tinypic.com/w0p8av.jpg

The new views from the spacecraft's narrow angle camera are only the third time that close-up pictures of the landing sites have been snapped and resolved by the unmanned spacecraft around the moon.

In one image of the Apollo 17 landing site, the last tracks left by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on the moon are visible. The crisscrossing footprints can be easily distinguished from the tracks left by the astronauts' lunar rover.
https://www.space.com/12835-nasa-apollo-moon-landing-sites-photos-lro.html

I know that Mechanic and Ajax won't believe this as they think it was a hoax but surly there can't be a whole new generation of scientists perpetuating the moon landing "hoax"  ;D ;D ;D

thanks for the picture barney...

in the mean time.. something to look forward to..

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Hi Mechanic - but no total eclipse for anyone.

https://www.space.com/33784-solar-eclipse-guide.html

Only partial eclipses will occur in 2018. The first solar eclipse of 2018 will take place on Feb. 15; it will be visible only from parts of Antarctica, the Atlantic Ocean and southern South America. The second partial eclipse of 2018 will take place on July 13 and will be visible primarily over the ocean between Australia and Antarctica. The third solar eclipse of the year will take place on Aug. 11 and will swing over the North Pole. It will be visible from northern Europe, northern Asia and parts of eastern Asia.