Space stuff (NASA, UKSA, CSA, ESA, etc)

Oh man... maybe I should get up for this one.

The best way, I've been told, to capture the "supermoon" is at moonrise or moonset, with a recognizable object in the foreground as a shadow. Position yourself a good distance from the object, with the moon near it, and the moon looks huge to those familiar with the object.

In Michigan it'll be moonrise for the supermoon eclipse, so if I plan this right I could put anything in the frame. Wonder if there are any nice bridges around. I suppose it would be best to have several places chosen far apart, then choose one based on weather closer to the eclipse.

The question is - will I actually get off my duff and do it?
 
My plan is to use my 300mm on my crop body for essentially 460mm and get a close up from my driveway.

I may get fancy and try to focus stack. We'll see though as I leave early
The next morning for the Yukon. Can't be up all night sadly.
 
Honestly thought for a 1/250s exposure you could handhold I'm sure. I've done that when I haven't been keen on dragging out the tripod.
 
When I'm tripod-less, I find an outside corner or surface and push one point of the camera against it while I shoot. It reduces handheld vibration significantly. Just resting it on top of a walking stick while holding it helps. A tripod is certainly better and more convenient, but I've done very slow shots pushing the camera against something solid and have taken some great shots. So don't let lack of tools stop you - if you've got a camera, there's always a way to capture something interesting.
 
I mean usually I brace against a railing, but then maybe I get 1 non blurry shot out of it, then cry about not having a tripod. ;)
 
The best way, I've been told, to capture the "supermoon" is at moonrise or moonset, with a recognizable object in the foreground as a shadow. Position yourself a good distance from the object, with the moon near it, and the moon looks huge to those familiar with the object.
I don't know...that seems like a lot of work for a dick pick.
 
I don't know...that seems like a lot of work for a dick pick.
You joke, but I was actually thinking about this local landmark:



The last time we had a supermoon I was driving along the road it's on, and the moon was huge next to the water tower. It wouldn't have broad appeal, but the locals would get a kick out of it. This image isn't mine, the few that I attempted to take with my cellphone while driving aren't worth sharing.
 
Yeah, Mackinac is not only far away, but the best image would have to be on the water. The two bridges to Canada might be good - less than an hour away, and I'd be able to stay on the Michigan side (though it wouldn't be hard to get to Canada, it could take a long time depending on traffic). You have to be a good distance away from the subject to get a "big moon" shot, though, and that can be tricky with buildings and such in the way, depending on where exactly the moonrise will occur.

The first two are pretty nice, but I can't say I appreciate the Zilwaukee style enough to trek out there for it.

The University of Michigan stadium would be a good one to catch, or one of the two clocktowers on campus.
 
The first image is the supermoon prior to eclipse, closer to the horizon, the second is during the eclipse. I'm really happy to have captured even these with my setup. The clouds discouraged me at first, but I got the supermoon through a hole in the clouds (handheld, too - it was that bright!), and by 10pm the clouds were gone. Sat out behind the barn witha broken tripod and took a dozen of the blood moon. Lots of little problems I found out during and after, but it's a lot better than I've ever done before, so I'm pleased.

 
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The first image is the supermoon prior to eclipse, closer to the horizon, the second is during the eclipse. I'm really happy to have captured even these with my setup. The clouds discouraged me at first, but I got the supermoon through a hole in the clouds (handheld, too - it was that bright!), and by 10pm the clouds were gone. Sat out behind the barn witha broken tripod and took a dozen of the blood moon. Lots of little problems I found out during and after, but it's a lot better than I've ever done before, so I'm pleased.

If you got enough of the blood moon, can you stack the pictures to increase resolution?

--Patrick
 
If you got enough of the blood moon, can you stack the pictures to increase resolution?

--Patrick
That's what I hear. I have maybe 4 pictures about this good, but I don't have the tools or expertise to try stacking them. Aside from that, it wouldn't be that big an improvement, and if I want a really good one I'll just look at one of the many much better images on the internet. It's not worth spending a lot of money or time on for me when I can ride someone else's coattails for free...[DOUBLEPOST=1443449984,1443449694][/DOUBLEPOST]The press conference starts in a little over an hour. http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-announce-mars-mystery-solved

Supposedly NASA will make a big scientific announcement tomorrow concerning Mars. So place your bets:

- Water
- Alien fossil
- Matt Damon
 
NASA Says There's Strong Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars

Images collected by HiRISE camera show that recurrent slope lineae—flow paths on Martian slopes appear that are thought to be caused by liquid water—appear to be seasonal, fading when inactive and reappearing annually over multiple Martian years.

The clincher comes in the form of spectral data, collected by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: Hydrated salts within the flow paths. These offer powerful evidence of evaporated brine, possibly from an underground reservoir.
(via Gizmodo)

Also, xkcd has its own take on the news:
 
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