September 27, 2015

Tonight was a very rare astronomical  event where the Super Moon and a Lunar Eclipse coincided to also produce a Super Blood Moon.  The super moon occurs when the moon is at its perigee or closest point to earth in its orbit.  At that time the moon appears to be 14% larger and hence the term super moon.  When a total lunar eclipse occurs, the moon appears red for the same reason the sunsets and sunrises appear red.  The Earth’s atmosphere contains dust particles, water droplets, and clouds that scatter the light.  In addition, the first full moon after the September Equinox is also called a Harvest Moon.  Total eclipses of the super moon have only occurred 5 times in the 1900s, and will not occur again until October 8, 2033.  The photos were taken near Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, AZ.  It was maybe not the best location, as I found out later there are too many electrical lines in the area.  At any rate it was a fun, hot evening for night photography.