'Super Blood Moon' of January 2019: How to Capture This Weekend's Total Lunar Eclipse

If you’ve previously, or regularly, taken a shot at lunar photography, this weekend’s celestial show will be your chance to capture the only total lunar eclipse of 2019. Also known as the “super blood moon,” the Moon will be at the closest position to the Earth in its orbit and will take on a red color, thanks to the shadow created by the Earth’s atmosphere.

If you want to make the most of the event, here’s what you need to know:

When is the total lunar eclipse?

On Sunday, January 20, 2019 at around 9:30PM EST, NASA notes, the Moon will begin to enter the penumbra (the shadow of the Earth). At around 10:30PM EST, it’ll move into the umbra (the darkest part of the shadow). It’ll be completely in the umbra at around 11:40PM EST, which will officially start the total lunar eclipse. It is at this point, when the moon is entirely in the umbra, that it’ll take on that reddish-orange color.

The greatest eclipse, NASA says, will be at 12:12AM EST on Monday, January 21, 2019, when the moon is midway through the umbra.

You can also use free services (like TimeandDate.com) to track the progress of the moon, making sure you don’t miss a thing.

super blood moon lunar eclipse — Photo by Sam McJunkin on Unsplash

Setting up for the “Super Blood Moon”:

Planning is key to creating a great blood moon image. Whether you have a smartphone or a more advanced camera, planning is crucial to getting a great shot. Always have patience, look all around to see what you can incorporate in an image, and try your best to fill the frame.

Make sure to check weather updates throughout the week to get an idea of what type of weather you can expect. The last thing you would want is rain or heavy clouds blocking your moon. Heavy clouds are not as much of a hindrance as they can give more of a dramatic look to your capture, depending on what has been incorporated in your image.

The gear you need:

Because of the content you’re aiming to capture, a smartphone just won’t do. If you’re opting for — or already have — a compact camera, here are the best ones to help capture the blood moon:

A good digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera gives more control over all components, but note that it does come with a bit of a learning curve. Here are some camera options to consider:

Detailed images of the Moon require the right equipment to deliver the image quality you are trying to capture. For best results, use a focal length equivalent of at least 300 mm or more to get details of the craters and lava flows, which are invisible to the unaided stargazer. Opt for these top lenses:

How to capture the “Super Blood Moon”:

Once you have your gear, follow these tips to capture the best image:

Put your camera on a tripod or another stable surface like a pole, ground, or tree. Use your timer or a remote to minimize camera movement and vibrations.
The Moon moves continuously, so a high shutter speed is needed to get sharp and detailed images. Start around 1/250 and work your way to 1/125.
The Moon is dim during a total eclipse, so you need a high ISO-setting to capture the little light reflected back from the Moon. The latest sensor technology has improved so much that it’s safe to use a ISO of 3200 or more and still come out with an impressive image quality.
Keep adjusting the aperture. As the Moon gets darker, a wider aperture is needed. Start with an f/11 for the bright Moon and reduce to a wider aperture opening as the Moon’s surface darkens. For example: F/11-F8-F5.6-F4-f2.8-F2.0-F1.4.
Use bracketing techniques for your exposures by shooting at various shutter speeds. Set your exposure where you want to capture detail in the Moon. Exposing on the eclipsed side will burn out the bright part and blow out all highlight and shadow detail. Exposing on the bright side will make the eclipsed side look very dark and under exposed. Try your best to meter for the middle of the two and find that sweet spot.
To capture as much information and detail as possible, set your camera to the highest resolution it has to offer.

Remember, you have plenty of time during the eclipse to capture your images, so keep shooting. Play around with the shutter speed for different exposures as your camera setting will be subject to change and adjustments will be needed.

Once you have your images, you can also crop, add contrast, and tweak colors, layer, and so much more by processing your images using photo processing software. When shooting in RAW, you will have more flexibility in post-production versus when shooting in JPEG.

Finally, make your image unique by looking for interesting scenery that you can compose and incorporate into the image like trees, buildings, and reflections or maybe even a halo shot with a person in it.

Most of all, have fun and take a few moments to appreciate the eclipse itself.