This is the partial penumbral eclipse of the Moon (eclipse magnitude 83% — ie. only 83% of the lunar disk was in the penumbral shadow) of November 30,


This is the partial penumbral eclipse of the Moon (eclipse magnitude 83% — ie. only 83% of the lunar disk was in the penumbral shadow) of November 30, 2020, taken at maximum eclipse about 2:40 MST. The Moon was in fast-moving low cloud which added the colourful lunar “corona” around the Moon’s disk, caused by water droplets in the clouds diffracting the moonlight. This effect was obvious to the naked eye and in binoculars, though I have increased the contrast and saturation to bring out the colours here. The contrast increase also brings out the very subtle difference in brightness across the disk of the Full Moon, with the top (north) edge of the Moon embedded most deeply into the penumbra and darkest, and the bottom (southern) edge not in the shadow at all and brightest. But the gradation is subtle and obscured somewhat by the clouds. The Moon was precisely and completely Full here with no terminator or shadows along the limb. This is a single exposure (not HDR) with the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 100 through the Astro-Physics Traveler 105mm refractor at f/6 for seconds. The clouds dimmed the Moon enough that a single exposure could take in both the Moon and clouds.


Size: 5400px × 3600px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 30, 2020, 85%, astrograph, atmospheric, canon, clouds, corona, diffraction, eclipse, exposure, full, galaxy, lunar, moon, november, partial, penumbra, penumbral, single