A Glimpse of the Crimson Sky: Blood Moon Over Queensland
Last night, the skies over Queensland, Australia, offered a breathtaking spectacle: a 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse. This celestial phenomenon, where the Earth's shadow casts a reddish hue upon the Moon, is always a captivating event for skywatchers.
The image above was captured using a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope, paired with a 25mm Celestron XCel Eyepiece and an iPhone. These accessible tools allowed for a remarkable close-up view of this lunar event, showcasing the deep reds and oranges that give the Blood Moon its evocative name.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. While the Earth blocks direct sunlight, some sunlight refracts through Earth's atmosphere and is scattered onto the Moon's surface, scattering out the blue light and allowing the red light to pass through, hence the reddish appearance.
It's moments like these that remind us of the vast and beautiful universe we inhabit, and the incredible opportunities we have to observe it, even with everyday equipment. Clear skies and a little patience can lead to truly unforgettable astronomical encounters.
