Spectators across all 50 U.S. states will have the opportunity to view tonight’s total lunar eclipse, a dazzling space display that will result in a glowing red “blood moon.”
Beginning late tonight and lasting into the early morning hours of Friday, the eclipse will occur when Earth passes between the sun and moon, creating the phenomena that will be viewable in some capacity from all U.S. states, North America and South America. As the Earth shifts in front of the sun, blocking its light, the moon will then appear a dark reddish-orange, creating what is known as a “blood moon.”
It’s been nearly three years since the last total lunar eclipse, which took place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, and will be the only one visible in the U.S. until 2026.
The rare chance to view the eclipse will undoubtedly inspire amateur photographers across the country to try to snap the perfect picture – the fruits of which can turn out to be a bit disappointing when using a smartphone.
Luckily, experts and photographers across the USA TODAY Network have tips to prevent ending up with that blurry, spot-of-light-in-the-sky picture that has you saying, “It was way better in person, I promise.”
How to get the best photos of the lunar eclipse on your smartphone
There are some basic smartphone suggestions anyone can follow to take better pictures of the eclipse and other celestial events.
One is to use a magnifier lens and tripod for your smartphone, like those available in this kit from Amazon for around $25.
Another is to avoid using the digital zoom function on your phone camera due to loss of resolution, advised USA TODAY senior photographer Jack Gruber. However, if you have a phone with a physical zoom option, like newer iPhone models that feature a 5x “telephoto” lens, you can get away with using that, added USA TODAY photojournalist Josh Morgan.
“Bring a tripod and put on a self-timer in night mode, especially if you get one of (the magnifier lens kits),” suggested Morgan. You can also try snapping a picture by placing your phone lens up against the viewfinder of a telescope.
Gary Swangin, former director of Paterson’s Panther Academy Planetarium and consulting astronomer for Delaware State University, also previously offered moon photo-taking advice to NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“Do not use the flash,” he told NorthJersey.com. “Turn it off. And if you can, take your smartphone and put it on a ledge or a fence or some kind of rigid structure, and put the camera on top of that. That will steady it. If you buy a tripod, you’ll also need to get a mount for the camera.”
Mobile phone apps, such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris or Sun Surveyor, can also help you find the exact location of the moon and advise you where to position yourself, award-winning photographer for The Record and NorthJersey.com Tariq Zehawi also advised.
Additional tips for more advanced photographers
The photography experts speaking to NorthJersey.com also had tips for those who know their way around a DSLR camera.
Gary Hershorn, current Deputy Photo Director at ABC News Digital and author of “New York Celestial,” and Thomas Costello, veteran photographer at Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, both offered up specifications for setting yourself and your camera up for success.
“So 250, at F/8, at 100 ISO, is the starting point — the setting for shooting the moon,” Hershorn told NorthJersey.com. “Unless it’s a hazy day and you have to compensate. You have to remember that the moon is reflecting the sun’s light. It’s like shooting bright daylight on earth.”
You also don’t want to use an exposure of more than 1½ seconds, he said.
Costello suggested using a long lens over 400 mm. “What you want to do is compress the moon and make it look larger,” he added.
A few more tips from Zehawi:
- Use a camera with manual exposure controls, a long lens and a tripod.
- Place your camera on a tripod and set your camera to manual with these settings: (a) RAW or highest-quality JPEG format. (b) Turn off image stabilization. (c) Set ISO to 100. (d) Set aperture to F/11. (e) Start with shutter speed of 125th of a second and adjust as needed.
- Underexpose the moon to avoid having it look washed out.
- Use a remote trigger or self-timer to avoid camera shaking.
