Solstice Lunar Eclipse

Today on 12/21/10, the longest day of the year, I felt very blessed to experience the first full moon total lunar eclipse in 456 years that has fallen on the Winter Solstice. The last lunar eclipse (which I was also lucky enough to witness) fell on February 21, 2008. Tonight, the Moon appeared to glow subtly red as it passed through the penumbral and umbral shadows of the Earth. Once it emerged, it then vibrated with flares of light. What incredible beauty on this most notable full mooned Solstice Winter’s day.

Despite the damp cold which had settled heavily amidst us, I was superbly excited at having the ability to photograph the moment with an awesome far-reaching telephoto lens and fabulous camera. The 55-300mm zoom lens we had invested in was going to prove its worth a million-fold. In rustling up the necessities for capturing the moment, both slaDE and I found ourselves at a loss to the whereabouts of our tiny handheld tripod. The effect of photographing such a distant object was proving to be challenging without a tripod, when zoomed in to such distance in the darkness. However, our generous neighbour Wizard came to our rescue and gifted us with a tripod that he rarely used. With this final piece of the puzzle, I was able to capture some stunning shots that still have me in awe at their magnificence.