How High the Moon… Winter Solstice Eclipse – 2010

Nope.  I did not take that photo.  That was taken by Reuters photographer, Doug Murray. I did stay up late to see it and I did take photos….. But, they don’t look like that.  My mother, husband and I sat on our chilly Colorado deck at 1:00 AM to witness this truly once-in-a-lifetime event.  The last time a total lunar eclipse took place on winter solstice was 372 years ago. On June 25, 1638 a similar solstice eclipse became the first astronomical event recorded in the United States… well what would become the United States.  The next time it will happen is in 2094… just shy from my now 5 year old son’s 85th birthday.  So, we decided it might be worth losing a little sleep to witness such an occasion.

I’m a rookie photographer with great equipment and little experience.  My Canon 5D was up to the challenge.. if only it had someone behind the lens who knew what to do!  My lenses are meant for close-up food photos, not something that is over 238,000 miles away. So, my efforts were handicapped but I didn’t care.  I felt like an adventurous astro-photographer and had a blast.  Here is one of my crowning photographic achievements….

Ok, so I’m no Ansel Adams… but who cares?  I was thrilled just to locate on the moon in my viewfinder!  It’s not easy and the  moon was directly overhead so I looked like I was doing a complex yoga position while trying to look through camera on my tripod.  It was pretty cold out and at some point I stopped feeling my toes.  But… it was fun and truly a remarkable sight. At 2:30 AM I ran to my computer to see if I captured anything on my camera and was so excited to see my pics… and then I saw Jennifer Yu of www.userealbutter.com had posted a stunning image on Facebook.  Sigh… she is so talented and I have so much to learn….

Many people across the country weren’t as lucky.  Winter weather obstructed the view with clouds.  So for those of you who didn’t get to watch it from the comfort of your homes… here are some photos you must see including this gorgeous time-lapsed video of the entire eclipse. Oh, and for those of you who think I should always include a recipe… here is one for Fly Me to the Moon Pie… just for you!