Friday is the longest lunar eclipse of this century

On Friday evening, July 27, 2018, there will be a total lunar eclipse and a very special eclipse. Because the current full moon is the smallest of this year, the duration during which it travels in the shadow of the earth also lasts the longest, namely, 103 full minutes. Because of these proportions, the full moon should also have a dark red, almost coppery hue, particularly effective for photos. The lunar eclipse of Friday can be seen from South Africa across the Arabian Peninsula to Antarctica, and unlike the solar eclipse, from anywhere in the world. same time.

How lunar eclipse develops, how it works and what kind of show The following graphic, courtesy of the astronomical magazine "Orion"

At 8:58 pm, the moon rises in the southeast sky. So, of course, it is not yet dark, and one can confidently choose the best place to observe and photograph the natural spectacle. Take the time to put the camera with the long telephoto on the tripod (very important) and test the shutter remotely, so there is no Auslösungsverwacklungen. As the 400mm focal length would be ideal, so the celestial body recognizes well and it does not act as a pinhead in the image. But already with a 200 you can make very impressive photos.

Around 9:30 pm the gravid earth then plunges into the shadow of the earth, and the darkness, and thus the fading of the celestial body begins from white to red and coppery red. Less than an hour later, at 22:22, the lunar eclipse reaches its peak, and Mrs. Luna slowly walks to the light, where she leaves the whole at 11:13 pm, and then comes out of the shadows to 0:19 come. Finally, at 01:30, she leaves behind the penumbra. The whole show, if you want to experience it in all its length, lasts exactly four and a half hours

The inclusion of landscape elements gives the picture more depth. (Fotolia # 193770371)

We seem to be lucky with the weather because of the situation of high pressure of long duration, and also light pollution, the radiation of light in the air. atmosphere, should not disturb. Incidentally, as a remedy, there is Rollei's astro-clear filter, which we introduced two months ago in photofinish.

The key to getting clear shots of the moon is to work manually. The autofocus desperately looks for contrast, so that the focus is best set manually to infinity. The measure of the exhibition also plays tricks on us, because the dark sky of the moon leads to a strong overexposure of the moon. It is best to work manually on Aperture 4 or 5.6, to do exposure modes and to play with the ISO number – with advanced cameras you can easily switch to ISO 3200 without the hassle of noise. Keep in mind that the earth turns, and that is why the moon at a too long exposure time loses its round shape and fades. This is often underestimated. The limit of exposure time depends on the focal length, but you should no longer expose a half-second with the 400mm lens – the shorter the better.

Several phases of the moon in an image are very effective. (Fotolia # 198255013)

Not 400s? Even with shorter focal lengths, you can get very good results, especially if you choose a section afterwards or if you have assembled several moons at a career. In addition, you do not always want to save the moon as much because the inclusion of the landscape can be a very rewarding additional component.

By the way: Take your time to experiment. There is enough of it here this time. The next lunar eclipse, the 20./21. January 2019, then falls much shorter and takes place in the early morning.

More information on www.orionmedien.ch. It also says where to observe the lunar eclipse the best.