Moon Slide Slim
Credit & Copyright:
Doug Murray
No special filters - or even a telescope - are required to enjoy a
leisurely
lunar eclipse.
In fact, watched from all over the night side of planet Earth, these
regular
celestial performances have entertained many casual skygazers.
Still, this eye-catching picture of a lunar eclipse may look
unfamiliar.
To make it, astrophotographer Doug Murray set his camera
on a tripod and locked the shutter open during the total lunar
eclipse of January 2000.
The
resulting image records the
trail of the Moon
sliding through the night, steadily progressing toward
the total eclipse phase as seen from Florida, USA.
Haunting red hues of diminished moonlight,
common during the total phase of a lunar eclipse,
are evident at the far right, along the slimmer portion
of the trail.
At least part of
tonight's lunar eclipse will be visible in
clear
night skies over the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
The eclipse should last
over three hours from
start to finish, with
about 53 minutes of totality.