Blood Moon

Have you noticed how many lunar eclipses we have had this year.  I think it's a record number.  Today was a complete lunar eclipse.  The second one of four within a two year period here in the United States called the tetrad. The next one showing some time in April 2015 and the last in September 2015.

"Lunar eclipses occur when the full moon passes through Earth's shadow. Instead of blotting out the moon entirely, the moon turns a rusty color because of the way light from the sun seeps through the planet's shadow."

I woke up this morning around 4am and got my camera out.  It took me a while to get the settings right and one day I'll be able to have some amazingly crisp clear images, but for now I'll enjoy what I have. It was gorgeous!  It was a fall themed moon! The boys wanted to see it as well so I woke them up and they looked for a minute then went back to bed.  I should have set the telescope up last night before I went to bed.  I couldn't find the moon in it at all. They would have been even more impressed.

UPDATE: After I posted this photo on Facebook a neighbor gave me a call and told me I had also captured a unique photo of the planet Uranus. (The blue star to the left of the moon.) Because of it's distance it is hard to see with the naked eye. What can I say, sometimes you just get lucky!