Lunar eclipse (w-503-17)

In gallery: Photos of the month (2003)
Related photos: Astronomy Moon

The lunar eclipse of 15/16 May 2003 was a wonderful sight. The moon became a deep rusty red color, with color changes across the Earth's umbra. The star to the right of the moon is SAO #159330, part of constellation Libra, and was almost exactly at the center of the Earth's shadow at the time of the eclipse.

Nikon FE with Maksutov 1000mm f/10 telephoto lens; Fuji Provia 400F pushed to 1600 ISO, 20 sec exposure. The camera setup was mounted on a motorized equatorial mount to counteract Earth's rotation and the motion of the moon.