Lunar Eclipse from Mission Peak
I hiked to the top of Mission Peak to witness the last total lunar eclipse until December 20, 2010. Making this night extra special were cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus which were in alignment with the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo. The three heavenly bodies formed a broad triangle with the moon to the right of Saturn and below Regulus.
The hike started out well - mostly sunny with big puffy white cumulus clouds, but the sky quickly turned completely overcast to the west. Without the sun, the day became cold and windy. Being a bit under the weather and discouraged that the moon wouldn't be visible with all the cloud cover, I almost headed back down a couple of times. I was fortunate to have met up with a fellow photographer who was a bit more optimistic and convinced me to keep going.
At the start of the rocky part of the climb, the moon peeked over the horizon. The clouds had already rolled in from the east so the moon was only partially visible but they appeared to be subsiding a bit. As the moon continued to rise (it always amazes me how quickly the moon traverses the sky), it climbed over the layers of clouds that had sprawled over the hillside. I took a few snapshots before finishing the climb to the top. Upon reaching the summit, I eagerly set up my tripod and took a few more photographs.
As more and more people arrived at the summit, the night took on a party-like atmosphere. One group brought sandwiches and Starbucks. I think I was offered something to eat at least twice. The hot coffee smelled really good, but no one was willing to give it up. People brought headlamps, hand warmers, and just about everyone had a backpack with all sorts of other sightseeing necessities. There were at least four photographers there, including myself, and I think someone with a video camera.
By about 7:30pm, the east sky became completely overcast. The moon was reduced to a veiled glow in the night sky. But before heading back down, I took a few snapshots of our impromptu gathering. To the west, the night had cleared so I also got in a nice shot of the San Francisco Bay.
Going back down was a bit tricky. I had forgotten to pack my own headlamp, so I had to rely on the city lights and what was left of the illumination from the moon to light my way. I took extra caution not to turn an ankle (my Achilles heel, so to speak) and aside from being startled by a couple of big black shadows from the big black cows laying by the side of the trail, the trek downhill was safe and uneventful. Surprisingly, there were still several groups making their way up in the darkness. A few had lights but most of them didn't. Being so late, I wondered if they were trying to reach the peak to view the eclipse or if they were just enjoying one of their regular hikes oblivious to the night's event.
The Mission Peak parking lot was host to a larger gathering of moon gazers. The lot was packed with people standing outside their cars looking up into the sky. Although the moon reappeared, the sky was still very hazy. I stuck around a little while longer but didn't take any more pictures. A photographer in the lot was set up with what looked to be a 300mm f/2.8 IS white Canon lens. I wished I had that lens with me that night, but at almost 6 pounds and substantial heft, I would have needed to bring along my monster backpack too.
Hope you enjoy the photographs!
Read MoreThe hike started out well - mostly sunny with big puffy white cumulus clouds, but the sky quickly turned completely overcast to the west. Without the sun, the day became cold and windy. Being a bit under the weather and discouraged that the moon wouldn't be visible with all the cloud cover, I almost headed back down a couple of times. I was fortunate to have met up with a fellow photographer who was a bit more optimistic and convinced me to keep going.
At the start of the rocky part of the climb, the moon peeked over the horizon. The clouds had already rolled in from the east so the moon was only partially visible but they appeared to be subsiding a bit. As the moon continued to rise (it always amazes me how quickly the moon traverses the sky), it climbed over the layers of clouds that had sprawled over the hillside. I took a few snapshots before finishing the climb to the top. Upon reaching the summit, I eagerly set up my tripod and took a few more photographs.
As more and more people arrived at the summit, the night took on a party-like atmosphere. One group brought sandwiches and Starbucks. I think I was offered something to eat at least twice. The hot coffee smelled really good, but no one was willing to give it up. People brought headlamps, hand warmers, and just about everyone had a backpack with all sorts of other sightseeing necessities. There were at least four photographers there, including myself, and I think someone with a video camera.
By about 7:30pm, the east sky became completely overcast. The moon was reduced to a veiled glow in the night sky. But before heading back down, I took a few snapshots of our impromptu gathering. To the west, the night had cleared so I also got in a nice shot of the San Francisco Bay.
Going back down was a bit tricky. I had forgotten to pack my own headlamp, so I had to rely on the city lights and what was left of the illumination from the moon to light my way. I took extra caution not to turn an ankle (my Achilles heel, so to speak) and aside from being startled by a couple of big black shadows from the big black cows laying by the side of the trail, the trek downhill was safe and uneventful. Surprisingly, there were still several groups making their way up in the darkness. A few had lights but most of them didn't. Being so late, I wondered if they were trying to reach the peak to view the eclipse or if they were just enjoying one of their regular hikes oblivious to the night's event.
The Mission Peak parking lot was host to a larger gathering of moon gazers. The lot was packed with people standing outside their cars looking up into the sky. Although the moon reappeared, the sky was still very hazy. I stuck around a little while longer but didn't take any more pictures. A photographer in the lot was set up with what looked to be a 300mm f/2.8 IS white Canon lens. I wished I had that lens with me that night, but at almost 6 pounds and substantial heft, I would have needed to bring along my monster backpack too.
Hope you enjoy the photographs!
Feeling a bit under the weather and discouraged that the moon would not be visible with the growing cloud cover, I decided to take this one last shot before heading back down. That's when another hiker came up the trail carrying a tripod. He was optimistic that the clouds would eventually clear in time for the lunar eclipse so we both continued on our trek to the top.
