Can be seen once a year
By Harun Kuloglu·3 minutes ago·Edit: 1 minute ago
© Josh Walet FotografieRTL
There’s a good chance you’ll see it tonight: the super moon. It is a special phenomenon that only occurs once a year and can produce beautiful photos. Although the supermoon is an annual spectacle, many unanswered questions and mysteries remain surrounding the moon itself.
During a supermoon, the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit around the Earth. “This makes the moon appear about 10 percent larger than normal,” says astronomer Lucas Ellerbroek. This is because objects on the horizon often appear larger. “Biologically speaking, that’s because danger often comes from the horizon, making it appear bigger to our eye.”
Although the moon looks a little bigger tonight, the question remains how well we can see it because of the clouds. “When the sky is clear, it is extra spectacular,” says Ellerbroek. “And it’s a great excuse to look up and wonder how the moon works.”
Moon stabilizes the earth
The supermoon has been known for centuries, but there are still many unanswered questions about the moon. “For example, where exactly the moon comes from. Researchers are still curious about that.” What we do know is that the moon stabilizes the Earth. “The moon has been responsible for a stable climate for the past billions of years. The best story we have as scientists is that a small planet once collided with Earth and part of it formed the moon.”
This is how you take a beautiful photo of the moon
Not only astronomers are fascinated by the moon, photographers such as Jeffrey Groeneweg are also eagerly awaiting the supermoon. He uses a professional camera himself to take photos. “You can take a good moon photo with a camera with a long lens. Then you have to pay particular attention to the aperture and shutter speed.” The aperture determines how much light reaches your camera’s sensor, which affects the depth of field of your photo. The shutter speed determines how long the sensor captures the incoming light and thus captures the photo.
According to Groeneweg, it is best to photograph the moon just as it rises, which happens around 6:30 PM. “But it can actually take the whole evening.” Although you get the best results with a camera, you can also use your phone.
This is how you take beautiful photos with your phone:
- Use a tripod or lean against something sturdy to minimize movement when zooming in on the moon.
- Turn off the flash as it will not illuminate the moon and may cause unwanted reflections.
- Use Manual mode to set a low ISO (100-200), fast shutter speed (1/250s or faster), and manual focus at infinity.
- Use optical zoom instead of digital zoom to maintain the quality of the photo.
- Use night photography apps like Camera FV-5 or ProCam for better control over settings.
- Photograph the moon when it is low on the horizon for a more impressive image.
- Avoid light pollution by finding a dark location without much artificial light.
Other special lunar phenomena
The supermoon is not the only special lunar phenomenon. This is how we also know the blood moon. “That’s another word for lunar eclipse,” explains astronomer Ellerbroek. This happens when the sun is behind the Earth and light shines through the atmosphere, turning the moon red. This happens about twice a decade.
© Getty ImagesThe blood moon.
In addition, there is the blue moon, which is not really blue. This occurs when two full moons appear in one calendar month, which happens about once every three years. The moon halo, in which a circle of light is visible around the moon, is also quite unique. This can be seen a few times a year.
Ellerbroek is happy with the attention for the moon, but hopes that it will not become too commercial. “We are now looking at whether tourists can go to the moon, but I am not so enthusiastic about the idea of the moon as a ‘second Earth’.”
