Total lunar eclipse

27 July 2018

Full moon with Mars very close to it last night - captured in the central Drakensberg

As the earth's shadow obliterated the moon...

Within about 40 minutes of total eclipse, the moon started becoming red in appearance

- a blood moon

I was using my manual function to get a closer and clearer image . During the processing of this image, I breathed out and this was the result. (I left it in the post for effect) The silvery specks surrounding the moon are stars. The heavens over Africa, were clear and diamond-studded the whole night

A last look at the blood moon in total eclipse 

Last night many of the Valley residents gathered  at a local hotel; they had an astronomer to explain the phenomena to them and later over goblets of gluwein, to ward off the cold, they moon gazed together.  I know it happened all over South Africa that people got together at observatories and watched the eclipse. I opted to stay home and go out and photograph the moon in stages. Until it's eclipse. Which is what I did. 

I knew that my friends and landlords were also home but by 8.30 their house was in darkness. They'd gone to bed. While I was out in my garden an hour later, the screen door to John and Ronnie's  house creaked and I knew John had come outside. He called to Ronnie that the moon had almost disappeared. Then he called even louder and said: "Doll, phone Jo and tell herDoll, phone Jo and tell her to come out and see the moon." to come out and see the moon." I bellowed from my veranda : "Jo is out, John." He said: "Oh hello Jo,you must be taking photos of this amazing sight!"  (how well they know me, LOL) Then the door creaked again and Ronnie emerged calling at the top of her voice: "Hi Jo, how are you"

Typical of farm dwellers. You can talk as loudly as you wish without the neighbors hissing "shut up" as would happen in a town neighborhood!  So there we were, two people one side of the huge lawn separating them from the other on her cottage veranda. All chatting at top decibel about the beautiful moon!

Early this morning, I  captured the moon over the milking shed 

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!