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OTHER HOBBIES => OTHER HOBBIES => Topic started by: Smokin Don on September 29, 2015, 12:27:25 AM

Title: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Smokin Don on September 29, 2015, 12:27:25 AM
Sep 27 2015

I decided I would stay up and try to see the moon eclipse. Earlier predictions said it would be clear skies here in MW Ohio. This afternoon clouds came in and it didn’t look like I would be able to see it. At the start of dusk the skies started to clear.

I was not sure where the moon would rise but started watching after 7 PM. I missed the early rise of it because of clouds on the horizon; but a little after 8 PM it was visible almost due east of me. I sat up my camera, Oly E620 with standard 14-70 mm lens, on a tripod. At 70 mm I could get a good picture.

It did not appear as large as I thought it would but it was sure bright; a white and not the red they were showing it would look. When I first saw it, it was 10deg. above the horizon. I played around with some settings and settled on aperture at 5.6 for 3.2 seconds was giving me the best photos.  I am a little rusty at using manual settings on my camera. I got better pictures of a prior eclipse with a Canon point and shoot camera with large zoom.

When I had my camera all setup I sat on my smoking deck relaxing with a beer and went out and shot a few frames every 20 minutes. As the moon rose it kept getting further away, or so it appeared, so I switched to my 70-300 mm lens which is the equivalent of 140–600 mm for the last two photos. I didn’t stay up for the full eclipse and could have missed some good shots.

After looking at all the frames I took I chose 7 to show. What I am wondering was did I capture a planet beyond the moon or was it just light tricks or reflections? I can see it in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th and maybe the 6th photos. It appears to be a kind of blue planet to me below right of the moon. In the 4th photo it is upper left and in the 6th it might be to the right. Anyone care to comment please do!

I was looking east to see the moon but not sure if I was looking toward the sun or away. If I did capture a planet it would be Venus or Mars. I know Venus at times looks like a star but not sure about Mars.

8:21 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275902_zpsiowmuqgt.jpg)

8:38 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275910_zpsefdydlse.jpg)

9:08 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275913_zpswwmhcidi.jpg)

9:37 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275916_zpsoludsrto.jpg)

9:38 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275917_zpsdal3nv03.jpg)

9:52 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275918_zpszayui6oj.jpg)


9:54 PM
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275921_zpskfbrg2lo.jpg)

Smokin Don
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: spuds on September 29, 2015, 12:43:08 AM
A great eclipse,our clouds didnt clear until 805PM,then clear the rest of the way.

Nice night out with wife and dogs,and found a real nice place to watch it.

Very nice evening.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: muebe on September 29, 2015, 12:54:39 AM
Great pics Don!
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: akruckus on September 29, 2015, 03:16:08 AM
Great pictures, I'm jealous we had solid cloud cover until about 2am, by then it was over :-/
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: CDN Smoker on September 29, 2015, 04:46:04 AM
Great photos SD, thanks for posting ;D
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: okie52 on September 29, 2015, 04:49:13 AM
Great pics.

Had a great night for watching it in central OK.  Have a decent pair of binoculars and the kids loved the view.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: TwoPockets on September 29, 2015, 08:22:42 AM
Great pictures. We had solid cloud cover here in mid Alabams. I missed.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: TMB on September 29, 2015, 08:30:17 AM
Great pictures. We had solid cloud cover here in mid Alabams. I missed.
In north Alabama as well  :( :(     Really wanted to see it
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: teesquare on September 29, 2015, 09:13:44 AM
It has been raining here for 3 days......I was set to "shoot the moon"..... ;) But - no luck. Good job Don!
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Smokin Don on September 29, 2015, 09:50:04 AM
No one replied to my question, was this a planet I captured along with the moon eclipse or just a lighting fluke. It looks like a slightly blue orb with light on one side and shadowed on the other. It showed up on at least 6 frames and started at lower right and as the moon rose it was at upper left of the moon. The camera angle was changed as the moon rose. Below is a crop of the one frame. Don

(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/My%20Favorite%20Photos/_9275917%20crp_zpse2frphyy.jpg)
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: nylic76 on September 29, 2015, 10:15:00 AM
My guess is that it was a light reflection which appeared to change position as the moon moved. Don't think there will be a newly discovered planet named "Smoking Don". :)
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Pam Gould on September 29, 2015, 10:15:16 AM
Don, very nice pics..I didn't see what you saw but I was 20 miles North of where you were..it started almost an hour early here,  and was a lil cloudy when it started but by the time the eclipse was happening good the clouds left. Probably won't be here for the next one but Maci will be..again..great pics.  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: tlg4942 on September 29, 2015, 10:42:43 AM
 Looks like a reflection.  The color of the reflection is interesting.  Do you have a screw on filter over the lens? If so a slight angle might cause the reflection.

Glad you got to see it. Was cloudy here.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: smokeasaurus on September 29, 2015, 12:04:36 PM
We have a clear shot of the moon from out two decks and the first night we had two many clouds.......last night we had a clear shot.......the first night...Rim of the World Highway had all the turn-outs packed with star-gazers.......made it a rough ride to get Wendy from work.......glad it is over.............
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Smokin Don on September 29, 2015, 12:28:21 PM
My guess is that it was a light reflection which appeared to change position as the moon moved. Don't think there will be a newly discovered planet named "Smoking Don". :)
I never thought it was a new planet just thought it might be Venus which we can see with the naked eye at times.  ;)  Don
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Smokin Don on September 29, 2015, 12:30:13 PM
Looks like a reflection.  The color of the reflection is interesting.  Do you have a screw on filter over the lens? If so a slight angle might cause the reflection.

Glad you got to see it. Was cloudy here.
Yes I do have a polarized filter on to protect my lens so it could have been a reflection Terry. Don
Correction it is a UV filter!
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: spuds on September 30, 2015, 01:38:32 AM
We have a clear shot of the moon from out two decks and the first night we had two many clouds.......last night we had a clear shot.......the first night...Rim of the World Highway had all the turn-outs packed with star-gazers.......made it a rough ride to get Wendy from work.......glad it is over.............
yup,we were on the first one about 1/2 mile from lake drive,the one that says you need an adventure pass (BTW,you dont,there is no requirement to pay the ticket for parking there,they wont tell you that tho.Since I pay my taxes here,that kinda chaps my hide).

We got last spot,everyone cleared out when the cloud was there.Wound up just us and a lady from her car there.
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: deestafford on September 30, 2015, 11:06:01 AM
Y'all don't know nothin' 'bout planets.  Don't y'all ever read them scientific journals and the honest blogs on the 'net?  That is a planet from the parallel universe.  Dee
Title: Re: Moon Eclipse 2015
Post by: Susie-Que on January 01, 2016, 01:12:18 AM
I am late to reply on this.

At least one pic what looks like regular lens flare, and the others have ghosting from your filter.  Either way,  it is caused by light bouncing around in the glass.
Venus wuld be a very small bright disk or dot.