Last week's lunar eclipse proved to be a challenging sight for many folks around the world, but one photographer captured all stages of the eclipse in this truly jaw-dropping photo. Outer supernovas, black holes, protostars, etc. While many of these things require advanced telescopes and professional astronomers to find, some of space's beauty can also be seen with the naked eye.
One such thing is a lunar eclipse. About twice every year, the Moon, Earth, and Sun line up just right to create a dazzling sight in the night sky. The Sun casts its light on Earth, the Moon falls perfectly in the planet's shadow, and the end result is a gorgeous red hue on our lunar cousin. The most recent lunar eclipse occurred last Thursday night and early Friday morning. It was a partial lunar eclipse with around 97 percent of the Moon covered in Earths's shadow. It was also the longest partial eclipse in 580 years — lasting roughly six hours from beginning to end.
Unfortunately, actually seeing last week's lunar eclipse proved more challenging than expected. While some folks were treated to clear skies and easy viewing, cloudy skies ruined the late-night event for others. If you were one of the many people who missed the eclipse — or just want to see it again — photographer Andrew McCarthy has you covered. McCarthy shared the above photo on his Instagram on November 20. It's a composite shot of the Moon during its various stages of the eclipse, offering an unmatched view of the lunar eclipse in its entirety. We see the Moon in its normal gray color, it gradually entering Earth's shadow to turn red/orange, and then return to its regular appearance.
How McCarthy Created This Incredible Photo
A regular picture of a lunar eclipse is impressive enough on its own, so how the heck did McCarthy capture the Moon in seven different stages of it? As explained in his Instagram post, McCarthy combined shots he took using two different telescopes. Images from both telescopes were combined to create "a hyper-detailed portrait of each stage." McCarthy then chose his seven favorite shots for each stage and compiled them together in the picture above — resulting in a final product that's over 350MP large.
If looking at the photo online isn't enough, McCarthy also sells prints of the picture on his website. An unframed 12" x 12" print is available for $50, while a larger 24" x 24" variant costs $80. You can also get the photo in a molded wood frame, or printed directly on a sheet of metal.
Source: Andrew McCarthy (1), (2)