Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Lunar Eclipse/ Nature Notes

Lunar Eclipse, December 21, 2010

We've had cloud cover for weeks with a few minutes of sun now and then. Monday night when I went to bed at 10pm, there were clouds overhead. I figured that no one in East Gwillimbury would see the lunar eclipse of a lifetime, the one that hasn't happened in nearly 400 years, the eclipse that coincided with the winter solstice.

But my husband is a night owl. He had gotten up to check the eclipse...and guess what! Although there were clouds still in the sky, there were also significant breaks.

After taking many shaky hand-held shots, my husband gave me a lesson in how to use my tripod. And this is what I got! By this time the eclipse was beginning to end. The sun's light was being reflected by the moon at the top where you see the brightest light.

And for those of you who are wondering just how shaky I was without using my tripod:

SHAKY!

For more Nature Notes,  please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods by clicking  HERE.

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39 comments:

  1. JackDecember 22, 2010 at 8:10 AM

    Wow, EG, wow! That is pretty impressive. I even like your handheld photos. They look like a big peach in the sky.

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  2. FranciscaDecember 22, 2010 at 9:31 AM

    I AM impressed. Even WITH a uni-pod (I don't carry a tripod), I just can't get a clear shot of the moon. Your image of a lovely orange moon is superb!

    [This boat in my post is called a banca in the Philippines; it's a native outrigger. They come in all sizes, from tiny single man boats - even smaller than this - that are paddled, to enormous motorized ones up to 30 meters /100 feet that can carry passengers and cargo between the islands.]

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  3. KaoriDecember 22, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    That is FANTASTIC! I was wondering if someone would post the eclipse. Very cool shot. But I think your bouncy moon shots are just as beautiful! :-)

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  4. DarlaDecember 22, 2010 at 10:09 AM

    Oh my! I really, really wanted to see the eclipse but unfortunately our skies were covered. Love the shot you got. I even like the shaky shots, they have a sort of sureal quality.

    Darla

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  5. Sally in WADecember 22, 2010 at 10:49 AM

    Great shot! It was overcast here when I went to bed and didn't get up to see if we had any breaks in the clouds.

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  6. ShirleyDecember 22, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    I am so glad you got photos! Such incredible colour! Thanks for sharing, even the shaky shots are great!

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  7. LauraDecember 22, 2010 at 11:17 AM

    fantastic!!!!! Wow, I wish I had seen it, we had cloud cover too, plus once I'm asleep, I'm pretty much down for the night...I love your photos, thank you so much for sharing them!

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  8. cieldequimperDecember 22, 2010 at 11:58 AM

    I'm gobsmacked. Fantastic!

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  9. kayerjDecember 22, 2010 at 12:10 PM

    what a wonderful shot!

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  10. Ms. BeckyDecember 22, 2010 at 12:20 PM

    Ha! I like even the shakey ones. Beautiful capture of the eclipse. We had a snowstorm here so I didn't have to get out of bed in the dead of night hoping for a photo. Yours are fantastic.

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  11. KathyDecember 22, 2010 at 12:50 PM

    You got a really great shot! It was not visible here because of heavy cloud cover so I stayed tucked in the warm covers.

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  12. UnknownDecember 22, 2010 at 2:33 PM

    Sending our love this Christmas to you and your family.

    Best Regards,
    Dave, Eng and Ysabelle

    Merry Christmas and Sorry    .

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  13. HalcyonDecember 22, 2010 at 2:39 PM

    Wow! That's a fantastic shot.

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  14. JanDecember 22, 2010 at 2:49 PM

    Fantastic is right. You're not necessarily shaky, our bodies just have rhythm and pulses. That's why tripods were invented.

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  15. Charlene N. K.December 22, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    Wow, breath-taking! I was also looking forward to that but it was so cloudy here at that time, so I missed it. Good to see your capture here.

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  16. UnknownDecember 22, 2010 at 3:32 PM

    It was too cloudy up here to see anything.So yours is next best; good job. Boom & Gary.

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  17. Inger-MDecember 22, 2010 at 4:21 PM

    WOW, what an amazing shot!!! Good job on learning to using the tripod. Great capture! I so wanted to see the eclipse, but we had clouds and snow the whole time.
    Merry Christmas!

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  18. LeoraDecember 22, 2010 at 4:57 PM

    Sheesh, these are wonderful. Almost wish I had woken up to see.

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  19. CarverDecember 22, 2010 at 5:33 PM

    I think you ended up getting a great shot. I also like the shaky ones but the first one is mind blowing. I didn't see the lunar eclipse but around 7 pm when I was outside the moon was so bright and beautiful. It was really gorgeous. I guess I should have set my alarm for 2 am which is when the eclipse was happening our time (or that's what I read) but I just couldn't quite do it. Glad you photographed it for those of us who didn't venture out.

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  20. Margaret Gosden December 22, 2010 at 5:51 PM

    An extraordinary take on the moon - I have never seen such a well defined sun reflection as that! Even the shakey shots are exciting when ordinarily they often not! Merry Christmas!

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  21. Gill - That British WomanDecember 22, 2010 at 6:26 PM

    wow those are really good, well done.

    Gill

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  22. Craver ViiDecember 22, 2010 at 6:27 PM

    Blurry shots? I think the moon moved. ;-)

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  23. LowellDecember 22, 2010 at 7:39 PM

    Stunning shots, EG. I couldn't get out of bed, so I thought I'd rely on you and Mary Beth.

    And the other thing I wanted to say was "BOO!" Did I scare you? :-)

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  24. SandyCarlsonDecember 22, 2010 at 8:17 PM

    Your photos are a real treat! Thank you for taking these shots. This lazy head was in bed!

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  25. DimpleDecember 22, 2010 at 8:50 PM

    That is a gorgeous shot! I guess tripods are worth something, after all!

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  26. Mike B. @ slugyard.comDecember 22, 2010 at 8:50 PM

    Awesome shot! I stayed up (easier to do here in the west), but we had total cloud cover. Thanks for sharing your ultra-clear view!

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  27. RandyDecember 22, 2010 at 9:58 PM

    That is awesome. So happy that you caught it. I missed it.

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  28. LewDecember 22, 2010 at 10:27 PM

    That is a great shot of the eclipse and you also got stars! I will have some shots of the eclipse for Sky Watch.

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  29. CaronDecember 22, 2010 at 10:51 PM

    That is amazing! Yours is the first photo I have seen of the eclipse and it really is beautiful. Nice job!

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  30. Leif HagenDecember 23, 2010 at 12:39 AM

    Holy stars! That's a $$million photo! Great shot! I want to take one like that someday when I grow up!

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  31. AnonymousDecember 23, 2010 at 12:58 AM

    Wow - the colour of that moon is amazing! Too cloudy here for us to see anything.

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  32. Small City ScenesDecember 23, 2010 at 2:13 AM

    Woweee and zowee!!!! I am duly impressed. I took some shots--it was cloudy and overcast here but the moon managed to peek through a few times but nothing like you saw.
    Wow again!!
    I don't have a tripod and don't know how to use one but I may invest. I didn't ever get to see the red on the moon maybe because of the overcast. Maybe????
    Save it--it is historic. MB

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  33. AnonymousDecember 23, 2010 at 2:50 AM

    BEAUTIFUL image. We had a snow storm here, so I did not see it. Lucky you!

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  34. VPDecember 23, 2010 at 3:06 AM

    Very good, I'm impressed. Night is not my domain and night sky is mystery to me, at least photographically speaking...

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  35. ???December 23, 2010 at 10:17 AM

    What a beautiful shot, it looks like the moon is on fire.

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  36. JudyDecember 23, 2010 at 5:24 PM

    Well, the shaky shots are interesting, but the one with the tripod is simply incredible!!

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  37. Suburban GirlDecember 24, 2010 at 7:25 AM

    I have to say that shot is the best I have seen of the eclipse. I though all mine out and I used a tripod too!

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  38. Rambling WoodsDecember 28, 2010 at 4:51 PM

    Oh wow...I wanted to see if and we were too cloudy. amazing

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  39. AndreaDecember 29, 2010 at 10:45 AM

    That is beautiful with the color exceptional. The shaking makes it an art, haha! I can't also perfect my moon shots.

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