Bow Tie Moon and Star Trails: A Lunar Eclipse Spectacle

On January 31, 2018, the night side of Earth was treated to a truly mesmerizing celestial performance: a total lunar eclipse. This was the first of three consecutive total lunar eclipses, making it a special event for skygazers worldwide.

This dramatic time-lapse image, captured from Hebei Province in Northern China, beautifully illustrates the progression of this event over more than three hours. The photographer skillfully used a tripod-mounted camera to record the Full Moon as it journeyed across a clear night sky.

The brilliance of the Moon before and after the eclipse created a distinct bow tie-shaped trail as the camera captured multiple exposures. During the peak of the total eclipse, which lasted an impressive hour and 16 minutes, this trail narrowed and took on a beautiful red hue, a signature color of a total lunar eclipse.

Adding to the visual spectacle, the distant background features the colorful trails of stars, appearing as concentric arcs above and below the celestial equator. These star trails, a result of the long exposure time, add a sense of movement and depth to the image, highlighting the vastness and beauty of our universe.

This image is a testament to the captivating power of astronomical events and the skill of astrophotographers in capturing them for us to marvel at.