The morning of June 15 I rose just after 4:15am. As I walked out the front door of the place I was staying in Townsville, two possums were screaming at each other from opposite sides of the roof. They sound like two orcs fighting up there! Upon noticing me step out the front door, one possum scuttled to the corner of the garage where he sat perched, silhouetted against the moonlight. He looked like a little gargoyle!
The shadow of the Earth passing in front of the Sun had just begun to draw a dark tangent across the face of the full moon when I set up my tripod. I used a telephoto lens (75-300mm) for these photos. I experimented with using high f-stops (~f29) and slower shutter speeds with lower f-stops (~f9) and faster shutter speeds until I was happy with the result.
This lunar eclipse was only visible in the southern hemisphere, so it was a treat that those at home did not get to experience. This particular eclipse was not only a full eclipse, but it was also very long.
By 6:30am my eyelids were drooping. The shadow of the Earth had completely covered the moon by this time, leaving a glowing red orb in the sky. Wish some satisfactory pictures I headed back to bed. I don't know if I'll get to see such a phenomenon ever again in my life, and I'm glad I experienced this one.
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