Kingaroy Observatory astronomer James Barclay tells us a Total Lunar Eclipse also called a ‘Blood Moon’ will take place on Wednesday night May 26, when the Full Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, called the Umbra.
The eclipse begins at 7.50 pm and by 9.20 pm, the Moon will take on the ‘Blood Moon’ colour. The eclipse ends at 11pm.
“During that time, you might be lucky enough to see the odd ‘flash’ in your binoculars, which is a Meteor striking the darken lunar surface. Providing the skies are clear of cloud that night, you will see it all happen, from your backyard with the eyes.
“In a powerful telescope under high magnification, one can see the Umbra moving across the lunar surface and that is quite an experience.
If you have a DSLR camera with a 200mm or longer lens and a solid tripod, there are heaps of information pages on the Internet for exposure times, ISO etc. Even your smartphone might work,” he said.
While this event can be seen all over Australia, the next ‘Blood Moon’ is November 8, 2022.
