Last Night's Lunar Eclipse

Having heard the news about the coming lunar eclipse, I decided to pack up my camera gear and head out around 6:00 PM. The best location I could think of to shoot from was Burnaby Lake Park, out on the walking pier, because I knew there would be a wide open, unobstructed view of the eastern sky.

I wasn't feeling too good yesterday, but I knew this was going to be a rare opportunity, so I made myself go anyway. It was worth it! The moon looked amazing!

When it was low on the horizon, it looked huge, and the color was a spectacular amber.

I shot a lot of photos, but I'm only going to post a few of them here, because of the large file sizes:

This is the moon just a few minutes after coming over the horizon:
















Here's a shot of the moon reflecting off the lake:



As the moon got higher above the horizon, it also appeared smaller. This would have been a perfect time to use that 400mm lens that I rented for the running event last September, as my 200mm lens just wasn't enough. I shot the whole event anyway with what I had.

The walking pier I was standing on, out on the lake, was under construction, so it was closed. I climbed over the fence to gain access. I figured I wouldn't be disturbed out there at night in the dark. But as it turned out, I wasn't alone the whole time. A jogger also hopped the fence and wandered over, probably to see what I was doing. He chatted for a while, then left. Then when it was completely dark, I heard someone approaching, but all I could see was a flashlight. I immediately assumed it was a parks ranger, coming to tell me to pack up my stuff and leave. I was wrong, it turned out to be a Russian man and his family, who were trying to find a good fishing spot. He was friendly, and asked me all kinds of questions about photography, as he set up his fishing rod. I didn't mind the company, so it was alright.

When the moon was in full eclipse, the Russian man suggested that everyone should make a wish (I'd never heard of this tradition, but then, he'd never seen a solar eclipse before either). He wished for a baby boy, and to catch a fish. I wished to someday be a famous photographer.

He asked me to email him some of the photos I shot that night, so I will.

By the time the moon was in full eclipse, all my equipment was damp from the condensation from the moist air. My lens was literally dripping wet, and my camera shut itself down several times, so I had to leave, but I was satisfied with what I had.

In this shot, a jetliner flew in front of the moon:
















Here's the moon fully shadowed by the Earth: