This week there was a total lunar eclipse! Luckily, the weather in Waterloo was mostly clear so I was able to catch it. However, it was really really cold outside so I didn't spend very much time setting up any creative long exposure photos or anything like that.

I did manage to get a few shots showing most of the sequence of the evening's events from just after it started to just before it ended.

For those keeping track, this was the last total lunar eclipse until December 2010, which is a pretty long time considering we have had at least two other eclipses in recent years.

This time I did a composite image of seven photos I took during the eclipse. Some of the shots were hand held, and some were on a tripod, and it was too cold to think straight so I used different camera settings for each shot, though there is a kind of symmetry to them.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who phoned and text messaged me to remind me about the eclipse! I had it marked in my calendar. ;)

Technical details, from left to right:

• Shot at 9:07pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 200, f/8, for 1/250th of a second.
• Shot at 9:37pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 200, f/8, for 1/100th of a second.
• Shot at 9:54pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 1600, f/8, for 1/100th of a second.
• Shot at 10:19pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 400, f/8, for 1 second.
• Shot at 11:20pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 1600, f/8, for 1/125th of a second.
• Shot at 11:46pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 200, f/8, for 1/100th of a second.
• Shot at 11:55pm with my Rebel XT + 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 200, f/8, for 1/320th of a second.

Comments

Nice series.  I'm jealous, I had to settle for watching the eclipse through
wispy layers of cloud.

I liked the shot.  It's only through your commentary that I learned Google
Reader can/is/has been cropping your pictures.	It's image only has the left 3
shots.

Great sequence! I had planned to take pictures too, but maybe by 2010 I'll have
bought new batteries for my camera :P

I'd love a copy of the picture with the
fully eclipsed moon. 

Ah, Mike, I knew I could count on you to have a fantastic shot of the eclipse! 
We got to enjoy a full view thanks to the clear, cloudless, cold night in
Toronto; Brent took several shots with our XTi but without a tripod they turned
out kinda blurry from his shivering.  :)

I also counted on your unique ability to capture wonderful things and went to
bed early without looking outside at all! ;)