How To Photograph A Lunar Eclipse

Very late Thursday night (March 13, 2025) and through the wee hours until dawn on Friday, Florida will see a total lunar eclipse, its first since 2022. While not particularly rare, a total lunar eclipse is an excellent opportunity for photographers to capture celestial clockwork while showing off their artistic skills. Here’s some information to help you get started photographing a lunar eclipse on your own.

What Is A Lunar Eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes entirely into Earth’s umbral shadow, temporarily cutting off direct sunlight. Unlike solar eclipses, which require specific viewing locations, total lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere on the night side of Earth. The phenomenon can be striking, as the Moon does not disappear but instead takes on a red or copper hue due to sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere. This coloration results from Rayleigh scattering, the same process that gives sunsets their reddish glow.

Observing a total lunar eclipse involves witnessing several phases. Initially, a faint shading appears as the Moon moves into Earth’s penumbra, the outer portion of the shadow. As the Moon progresses into the umbra, darkness spreads across its surface, eventually engulfing it entirely. During totality, which can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, the Moon takes on its characteristic red coloration. This transformation occurs as Earth’s atmosphere bends and scatters sunlight, allowing only longer wavelengths to reach the Moon. The brightness and hue of the eclipsed Moon vary, influenced by atmospheric conditions such as volcanic activity, which can darken the effect.

How Do You Photograph A Total Lunar Eclipse?

For those interested in capturing a total lunar eclipse through photography, preparation and technique play crucial roles. A tripod-mounted camera with manual settings provides the best results. That implies a DSLR or Mirrorless SLR, and that’s what we’ll assume you are using.

Since the Moon’s brightness changes throughout the eclipse, adjusting exposure settings is essential. During the early partial phases, the Moon remains bright, requiring a fast shutter speed. As totality begins, the reduced light necessitates longer exposures.

A telephoto lens allows for detailed images of the Moon’s surface and color changes. While manual focus set to infinity is ideal, using a camera’s live view function can help fine-tune sharpness. Bracketing exposures—taking multiple shots at slightly different settings—ensures a well-exposed sequence. Post-processing software can enhance contrast and color balance, particularly in capturing the deep red tones of totality.

Understanding the Moon’s movement across the sky can help frame compositions effectively. First of all, the moon moves across the sky a lot faster than you might realize. Stopping the motion for a really sharp shot implies a high shutter speed, and the longer your lens the higher that speed needs to be. Secondly, the Moon reflects about 13.6% of the sunlight that hits it. That’s about the same as old, worn asphalt. It may not sound like a lot, but it actually is pretty bright, even at the maximum point in the eclipse.

In the Northern Hemisphere, if the eclipse occurs in the early evening, the Moon will rise and move upward and to the right. During late-night eclipses, the Moon will travel from left to right, while in the early morning, it will descend downward and to the right. In the Southern Hemisphere, these directions are reversed. It’s a good idea to get familiar with the path of the moon across the sky where you are planning to photograph the event, and to compose your photographs based on the foreground and the position of the moon in the sky.

Checklist: Recommended Camera Settings for a Total Lunar Eclipse

• Tripod: Essential for stability during long exposures. Set it up, and tightly lock it down, especially if you plan to take a series of photos through the event.
  
• Manual focus: Use manual mode for focus, and set your camera by hand. Autofocus will probably struggle at night, so just turn it off. That way you won’t have to worry about focus going back and forth as you try to shots.
  
• Set to infinity for sharpness: I like to set my focus using a flashlight shining on an object at least thirty yards away. Then I “lock” the focus with a piece of non-residue gaffer’s tape so the focus ring doesn’t move it accidentally touch the focusing ring on my lens.
  
• ISO: Start at 400, increase to 800–1600 (or even higher!) during totality.
  
• Aperture: Use the widest available (f/2.8–f/5.6). This is something you should definitely experiment with while you are taking your shots.
  
• Shutter speed: 1/250s to 1/1000s
  
• Bracketing: Capture multiple exposures to ensure a well-exposed sequence. I bracket using aperture rather than shutter speed because with the lens set at infinity, depth of field is not an issue, while shutter speeds need to be high to stop the moon as it moves across the sky.
  
• Remote shutter or timer: This eliminates any chance of the camera moving when you take your exposure. Despite the fast speeds recommended above, even the tiniest of movements can blur fine details on the lunar surface.
  
• Lens: If you want to take a series of eclipse shots with a great foreground, a wide angle lens will work very well. If you want to get close-up shots, 300mm or more will get you some great shots. Keep in mind that the longer your focal length is, the more critical it becomes to use a remote shutter.
  
• Dew Heater: Lunar eclipses happen at night, and nighttime is when dew covers everything, especially here in the Sunshine State. Astrophotographers have used hand-warmers on their lens barrels for a long time to eliminate that risk, as a warm lens is unlikely to have dew forming on it. If you’re planning a series of shots, using one is something you should not overlook. They are readily available at Amazon and most outdoor goods stores.

By carefully planning settings and compositions, photographers can document the striking beauty of a total lunar eclipse while adapting to the changing light conditions throughout the event.

Check Your Work

Review your shots as you shoot, and make sure you are getting a properly exposed shot. It’s never pleasant to come back inside after a long night inside photographing the moon only to find out your shots are over or underexposed. That’s why you should bracket and it’s also why you should make sure you’re getting the results you’re looking for while you still have a chance to change your settings if you are off.

If your camera allows you to zoom in on your shot, make sure your focus is set properly as well. This is where you are most likely to be “off” so ensuring that you are sharp is a good idea so you can fix it if there’s a problem.

Good luck!

See also: How To Photograph Butterflies