Wednesday, January 31, 2018
This morning I got up extra early so I could head out and photograph the Super Blue Blood Moon before work. For anyone not familiar, though I’m not sure how you couldn’t be since it’s been all over social media and the news, last night’s moon was a celestial trifecta since it was a Super Moon (meaning it’s a little bit closer to the Earth), a Blue Moon (the second full moon in one calendar month) and a Blood Moon (called that because it turns the color red during a total lunar eclipse).
Originally, I had scouted out a location to photograph this event from along Little Park Road which is not too far from my house or work, so it would have been quick and easy for me. However, when I woke up this morning and looked outside I saw there were clouds over the valley that were blocking the moon and my pre-planned location would not work out. After checking on the cloud cover of the region, it looked like my best best to see anything would be to head west, so I got in my Jeep and headed toward the Utah State Line on I-70. I got off the interstate at the Rabbit Valley exit and drove to the top of the nearby ridge where I parked and waited. The moon was still hidden behind clouds when I arrived, but I could see pockets of stars in the sky, so there was hope to see something. Shortly after the moon was fully eclipsed by the Earth it did finally come out from behind the thicker clouds and I was able to see it for a little while. Unfortunately, it seemed there was always a thin layer of clouds in the sky which made getting a decent photograph difficult for me. The moon would disappear behind clouds again before it even got near the horizon and would not be seen again, so I packed up my camera and headed to work. Below are the two OK photos that I got. They are not that great, but at least they will remind me of the experience!
The Super Blue Blood Moon visible after breaking free from the clouds for a little bit while it was still dark out.
There was a change of colors when the soft light of dawn started to filter in from the east.
