An astrophotographer has released a new photo of the recent partial lunar eclipse and it captures the event perfectly.
The photo is a composite of thousands of photos captured during the four-hour event. Taken by Andrew McCarthy, the photos were captured using three cameras that McCarthy set up outside in Arizona the night of the lunar eclipse. The result of all of that hard work is a stunning photograph that showcases the eclipse’s sequence exceptionally well.
Lunar eclipse photos show the entire event in one image
According to My Modern Met, McCarthy originally planned to make an image similar to this back in May, during that lunar eclipse. However, his location at the time didn’t give him a clear enough look at the event. This time, though, he was able to see it perfectly from beginning to end.
When speaking with My Modern Net, McCarthy shared that he originally thought about arranging the images where they overlapped just enough to create a round shadow showing the shape of the Earth. Instead, though, he decided to arrange each sequence together as you see them in the final image. He felt this led to a more original design while also showcasing the beauty of the lunar eclipse entirely.
McCarthy also released a series of photos on his Instagram dedicated to the lunar eclipse. Some include a photo of the Moon with the Seven Sisters, as well as pictures of just the Moon during the peak of the eclipse. You can check them all out on his Instagram.
How McCarthy captured the eclipse
To ensure he could capture every detail possible, McCarthy used a three-camera setup. He set up the cameras in his backyard. McCarthy wanted to capture the Moon at different angles. To accomplish this, he set up his cameras at different angles. Overall the shoot went well, though McCarthy did mention having to use HDR techniques to overcome some high-altitude clouds that threatened to ruin the photoshoot.
After capturing the images, McCarthy then composited thousands of photos together to ensure that all parts of the Moon had a rich amount of detail. He wanted to ensure that both the light and dark sides of the Moon were visibly detailed in the photo.
McCarthy shared the image on his Instagram and a high-resolution version is available on Patreon. He also has a print of the photo listed on his website, though it is only available in limited quantities.
