Muscat: Timing is everything if one wants to capture the Blue Moon at its best. The supermoon on Monday, August 19, will be a notable astronomical event and sky enthusiasts have begun the preparations.
The Supermoon also known as the Blue Moon is to rise around 5.37 pm.
Weather permitting, the Supermoon could be visible to the whole world. Oman has been experiencing low clouds because of the easterly waves in the upper level of the atmosphere.
One of the major reasons photographers get excited about Supermoon is its visibility. The best viewing times are said to be generally around moonrise or moonset when the moon is closer to the horizon.
Monday’s Moon is expected to be about 16% brighter than the average moon and is much larger. Binoculars or a telescope for a closer view would be ideal, although the supermoon will be quite spectacular to the naked eye. This is also the moment for photography. Photographers are ready for the celestial spectacle.
According to the ardent photographer of celestial scenes, Ajayan Poyyara, the time before the event is dedicated to scouting.
“The right location matters. Once the moon rises there would be no time because the moon moves faster than we realize and it is faster than we can move with the tripod. It happened to me while I tried to align the moon’s position with the tallest minaret of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque,” said Poyyara.
“My friend, Photographer, Sanak Roy Choudhury got creative with the Moon and the Muttrah Fort and the difference a photographer can make in addition to his skills and equipment is the timing,” added Poyyara.
Supermoons occur when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time as it’s full. During this month’s supermoon peak, the moon will be around 225,288 miles from Earth, making it appear slightly larger and about 16% brighter than an average moon.
According to Ajayan Poyyara some of the ideal locations to photograph the full moon are:
1- Muthrah Fort, keeping the fort in the foreground and the rising moon either partially exposed above the fort or just above the mountain.
2- Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque- Go to the western side of the mosque well in time, and position your tripod and camera in such a way that you get a clean shot of the rising supermoon above the main dome.
3- One can also get another shot of the moon above the tallest minaret, after a little while, and after shifting and repositioning your camera suitably.
4- Keeping the minaret of Al Ameen mosque in the foreground is another interesting way of shooting the supermoon. One may have to scout a little bit beforehand to identify a suitable location to keep the mosque in the foreground and the moon above it.
“Ideally a zoom lens will give exciting images. A 200-500mm lens or lens with a higher zooming capacity is better. However keep in mind that you have to be far away from the foreground subjects to get an amazing image,” said Poyyara.
Technology plays a crucial role today and PhotoPills is one of the mobile Apps which gives in-depth information about celestial objects, their movements, and the timing of it's occurrence.
“We can also plan well in advance the location from where we can shoot our desired image with the objects/ foreground in our minds. And this is the case even when we are traveling. Its Augmented Reality feature helps us visualize the "happening" well in time so that we can plan and reach the location beforehand,” pointed out Poyyara.
Super Moons always hold cultural significance. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon being at or near its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as perigee. This proximity causes the moon to appear larger and brighter than usual in the night
Supermoons often attract attention and are celebrated in various cultures. They can be an opportunity for photographers, stargazers, and those interested in astronomy to observe and capture the beauty of the night sky.
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