BMWBMW

Tonight the moon will be at apogee and closest approach to the earth this year AND at the same time reach totality. It will rise at 5:30 this evening and appear 14$ bigger and up to 30% brighter than ever for the year. here's the full scoop...

"Thanks to a fluke of orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than that it has been in more than 18 years, the biggest full moon of 2011 will occur on Saturday, leading some observers to dub it a "supermoon."

On Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in 2011: a distance of 221,565 miles (356,575 kilometers) away. And only 50 minutes earlier, the moon will officially be full. [Photos: Our Changing Moon]

At its peak, the supermoon of March may appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons (when the moon is at its farthest from Earth), weather permitting. Yet to the casual observer, it may be hard to tell the difference."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110318/ ... urdaynight

get out them cameras, and remember that shooting the moon should be exposed as a daylight object no need for long exposures or any sort of special camera, though a tripod helps as it gets darker just for improved crispness even with IS.

I'll unfortunately be on the road coming back from late lunch in Gordensville during moon rise and when it will appear the largest but I'm taking my camera in the hopes I'll be somewhere around Wilderness so I can stop and get some good shots of it from one of the battle fields. we shall see....

RM

Here 'tis, RM.



As you said, it was like a daylight exposure because of the brightness: 1/200 second at F11.

And here's a view from Orange County, Virginia:

Lots of fine detail in that shot, Steve. Nice work.

Tell me this: Is there something about your lens or camera mounting that rotates the image? You picture is rotated CCW compared to mine, judging from the position of Tycho Crater at about the 4 o'clock position in your photo.

DiscoPete wrote:Lots of fine detail in that shot, Steve. Nice work.

Tell me this: Is there something about your lens or camera mounting that rotates the image? You picture is rotated CCW compared to mine, judging from the position of Tycho Crater at about the 4 o'clock position in your photo.

I noticed that difference, too. I figured it was just the different angle from Virginia Not sure why the difference, but mine are straightforward shots on a tripod, and I checked the orientation in all my shots and it's the same way in each. I shot some vertical and some horizontal (the one I posted was shot as a horizontal), some with a standard telephoto and some with a 500 mm mirror lens. This one was with the mirror lens, but it presents the image just like any other lens.

Nice shots guys, I wish I had been able to get a few myself but it just didn't work out for being in a location during the best time. Oh well...

interesting difference on the rotation effect, most of mine and what a quick search found on the net look like Steve's. It doesn't appear to be an inversion either, curious.

RM

I'm no astronomer, but I think the way the image was processed must have rotated one. Here's one in another forum taken from Australia http://oceansbyanderson.com/blog/?p=233 ... omment-894

Hey,

Were you guys looking at that same moon I was? It was Orange when I looked Saturday night

ChaseH wrote:I'm no astronomer, but I think the way the image was processed must have rotated one. Here's one in another forum taken from Australia http://oceansbyanderson.com/blog/?p=233 ... omment-894

couldn't view the photo but....

since Australia is on the opposite side of the earth, its only natural they would see the other side of the moon, Duh!!!!

RM

Not sure why the link wouldn't work for you. They are standing upsidedown while looking at the the same heavenly objects. Course, they also have the Southern Cross.

I was in the wrong place. Wasn't so super.

Newzpix,

Wow!

Rick F.