Blood Moon Prophecy

[Skm1091]

The verse about the moon seems pretty vague, doesn't it?

[dallen68]

As far as prophesy-bible stuff goes, the verse about the moon seems pretty specific, :-o ! (Cue cat walking on electric keyboard)

[BreadGod]

The only thing I know about the blood moon is that it was an expansion to an Elder Scrolls game.

[Travis Retriever]

The only thing I know about the blood moon is that it was an expansion to an Elder Scrolls game.

And that it was a random event in Terraria with increased mob spawns.

[Skm1091]

http://www.universetoday.com/110868/the-science-behind-the-blood-moon-tetrad-and-why-lunar-eclipses-dont-mean-the-end-of-the-world/

[Ibrahim90]

well, I'll be watching the blood moon tonight. looking forward to it.

the itinerary is straightfoward:

~10PM: mobilize camera, phone, and computer
~midnight: watch in wonder and record footage.

[MrBogosity]

well, I'll be watching the blood moon tonight. looking forward to it.

I won't; cloudy and rainy.

the itinerary is straightfoward:

~10PM: mobilize camera, phone, and computer
~midnight: watch in wonder and record footage.

I did this one a few years ago:

[yt-43]HdBQaDkldGA[/yt-43]

[Ibrahim90]

yep--I was thinking something along these lines. probably not as comprehensive though: perhaps an hour or so's worth of pictures (every 5 or so minutes), centered round the maximum.

EDIT: have the pictures. not as a regular as yours Shane (and not professionally done), but they look decent.

[MrBogosity]

Only problem with mine is, I don't have a zoom lens tight enough to get the moon very large in the frame. So I still get a low-res shot even with a high-megapixel camera.

[evensgrey]

No joy for me, either.  Low swept in overnight, and the barometer and thermometer are both dropping fast.

Yesterday afternoon, we had a forecast high of 24C.  This afternoon, a forecast low of -8C. This is only the second time I can recall ever experiencing this large a temperature swing in 24 hours.

[Ibrahim90]

Only problem with mine is, I don't have a zoom lens tight enough to get the moon very large in the frame. So I still get a low-res shot even with a high-megapixel camera.

yeah, most of the "regular" cameras are like that--mine is no different.

what I was able to do was get relatively illuminated pictures of the moon, but to do that I had to really ramp up the settings for this.

success rate was not as good as hoped--close to 70% (the other 30% were deleted, or left in for lack of a better option). but the ones that worked out are nice.

anyways, here's the photographs:


the blue dot to the lower-right of the moon is Spica: it's been nicknamed by us observing "the blue bitch"--a reference to the nickname given to the Asari by Tyrannicon's TJ Laser (and mainly because it grabbed as much attention as the main event).

http://s260.photobucket.com/user/Ibrahim_059/slideshow/15th%20of%20April%20Eclipse

pictures are from the Office in Midland, TX. the light part you see at the bottom of the moon in the later stages from from the office lights (couldn't get them switched off).

EDIT: also saw Mars and Saturn, but they were just dots in the sky, so I didn't bother with pictures

[MrBogosity]

the blue dot to the lower-right of the moon is Spica: it's been nicknamed by us observing "the blue bitch"--a reference to the nickname given to the Asari by Tyrannicon's TJ Laser (and mainly because it grabbed as much attention as the main event).

Looks like you got h Vir – HIP 66098 as well in some of the photos. Nice work!

I noticed some were out of focus; with the moon, you should be able to just focus out to infinity and leave it. Also, a tripod would be good to reduce camera shake.

[Ibrahim90]

Looks like you got h Vir – HIP 66098 as well in some of the photos. Nice work!

I noticed some were out of focus; with the moon, you should be able to just focus out to infinity and leave it. Also, a tripod would be good to reduce camera shake.

did both: problem is having to adjust the Shutter speed and aperture for a darker and darker moon means longer exposure times. the slightest movement, either from the wind, me, or the Moon, completely wonks it out. And in fact the moon itself was the real pain in the ass: it moves across the camera's field of view in 20-30 minutes: it can move right through the focal point in under 5 minutes.

[MrBogosity]

did both: problem is having to adjust the Shutter speed and aperture for a darker and darker moon means longer exposure times. the slightest movement, either from the wind, me, or the Moon, completely wonks it out. And in fact the moon itself was the real pain in the ass: it moves across the camera's field of view in 20-30 minutes: it can move right through the focal point in under 5 minutes.

Yeah, that's why I took a series of photos instead of trying to video it. Plus, there were clouds, and I had to keep snapping the pictures during the breaks between them...

I'd love to do it again on a clear night with a nice high-apterture zoom lens.

[Ibrahim90]

frankly, I'm particularly proud of pictures of the red phase 29, 39 and 42 (of the 42 uploaded): the moon's details are clear, as is Spica's beautiful blue-white color. looking at the photos, 76 Vir does look conspicuous right above the Moon, though I didn't notice it at the time (being such a dim star in comparison). its dimness really puts the size of the galaxy into perspective, when one remembers its a yellow giant--bigger and absolutely brighter than the sun (it's 235 LY from the sun).

my one regret though of the even it really that I couldn't take pictures of Mars, or of Saturn: both were so dim that long exposures respectively created red and tan streaks  (though it did reveal the Milky way in the process--barely).

Virginis 76 needs an Arabic name though. we call the constellation al-3adhra' (lit. the virgin), or as-sunbulah (lit. corn-ear), and Spica as-sammak al-'a3zal (lit. the unarmed fisherman). maybe I should call it "as-samak as-sakhir (the mocking fish), and the star next over (82 Virginis) "as-samak aj-jaban" (the cowardly fish).