Attention Photographers Four Blood Moons Coming.

From what I understand, this happens only ever 500 years or so.

For the rest of us: the term Blood Moon applies to the full moons of the upcoming tetrad – four successive total lunar eclipses, with no partial lunar eclipses in between, each of which is separated from the other by six lunar months (six full moons) – in 2014 and 2015.

Astronomers do not use the term Blood Moon to describe these four upcoming lunar eclipses, as the term 'Blood Moon' was coined they believe in relation to biblical relevance.

Sorry Fran, I guess it all depends on the school you went to. From what I understand, the upcoming Tetrad will be more than lunar eclipses. Photographers have a rare chance at some great shots. I guess we will find out in a couple weeks.

Happening again eh Bill??

You can't even give a good heads up to an opportunity for photographs, without someone wanting to make an argument out of it.

Thanks for the heads up Bill. I live pretty close to the city lights, but I will do a little more research on this. :)

Coverage maps for the two in 2014:

2014-04-15: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2014-Fig01.pdf

2014-10-08: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2014-Fig03.pdf

To see totality you need to be viewing from the white regions.

Photographically-wise, a single total eclipse isn't especially rare -- there's 85 total eclipses this century (although that's world-wide, for a given location there's a much smaller number that will be visible in totality). The last was in 2011 though (and 2010 for the last one which was visible from the 'lower 48'), so there's plenty of new photographers who haven't had a chance to capture one before.

Here's the last one I captured in person, although back then I really didn't have a clue what I was doing!

What can I say TBN? I think this is pretty interesting stuff....especially if there are blood red moons AND lunar eclipses. Supposedly that will never happen, but then there is only one way to tell. TO BE THERE WITH YOUR CAMERA. A red moon is much easier to expose than a regular full moon.

So, folks in Australia and the New England States should be ready.

I am still wondering why they are calling it an "eclipse"?

Good info. Thanks! I've never been able to get good moon shots. I'll have to make a note of these and make some plans...

Whooo! I'm in luck! Thanks Bill and Alexis for the notice! Let's just hope the weather cooperates! :)

Nice shot Alexis. Well, 4 in a row is kind of "special".

this is an older link: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-a-lunar-eclipse/

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Chuck: The bigger the lens, the better the shot might be, but all you really need is a tripod. Adjust your shutter and aperture for the light of the moon, not the dark of the night. take several shots and at least one will be perfect.

Bill: Absolutely -- there's only eight times we have four in a row this century, and the last time was in 2003/2004. After the 2014/2015 grouping, the next four in a row won't happen until 2032/2033, so it is unusual -- especially for US/Canadian photographers as I think all four of the 2014/2015 grouping are visible from somewhere in North America.

I have been following the Blood Moons "Tetrads" since I first heard about them in 2008 and their significance....
What I find so interesting is the fact that they all will be falling on the Biblical Feast Days of Passover and Succot with the Lunar Eclipse in the middle falling on Nissan 1 on the biblical
calendar. ...And that whenever these happen. ...Look to Israel for some prophetic event to happen close to or there after....

Also the Blood Moon on Passover 2015 will be seen in Israel and will also be a super moon.....So that will be a spectacular photo op

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-april-15

Roger, from what I understand because of where Israel is located, a super moon will indeed be a RARE sight because of where she is located geographically.

Israel just vacated all it's Embassies.

Bear in mind that if you use/hire a big lens, you will need to shoot with a wide aperture and high ISO. Normally the moon is so bright that even with a 400mm or 600mm lens, you don't need to worry too much about the Earth's rotation, because the shutter speed will be short enough to freeze the motion. However, the moon becomes a lot dimmer during a lunar eclipse, so you will need to be very careful to keep shutter speeds short and not get motion blur at long focal lengths. For example, my shot above was taken at f/8, ISO 800, and required a 2 second exposure, which was too long to avoid picking up the movement of the moon, even at just 250mm.

There's a useful calculator on this page for working out the shutter speed you can use without needing equipment to track the Earth's rotation:

http://www.openphotographicsociety.org/shop-and-tools/calculators-and-utilities/sun-and-moon-calculators/lunar-eclipse-shutter-speed-calculator

(Under the 'miscellaneous camera information' section)

For example, put in a 600mm lens on a 24 megapixel full-frame camera, and you'll see that you need a shutter speed of 1/4 of a second or faster to avoid blur.

Roger, that's because those holidays are based on lunar calendars. For instance, Easter, which was derived from the Pagan celebration of Oester, goddess of fertility, is always the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring. Passover is on the first day of the full moon following the Vernal Equinox.

Yes, Louise it is based on a Lunar Calendar which the Hebrew Calendar has always used and Biblical Feast days of the Lord are on. and one that God established ..and yes Easter was derived from Pagan Celebrations.

Bill, Yes I know Israel vacated all her Embassies....Interesting times we live in for sure.

How did this discussion go from Bill giving good heads up on getting good shots of a red moon, to religious discussion and talking about Easter originating from Pagan holidays?

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