NASA's tips for photographing the supermoon eclipse this weekend

Monday, September 28, 2015

NASA's senior photographer Bill Ingalls says to make sure you get something in your shot other than the moon for the best supermoon photos.
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Planning on catching a glimpse of the supermoon eclipse this Sunday? If you want frame-worthy photos to remember it by, you might want to plan ahead.

Bill Ingalls, NASA's senior photographer, gave some pointers to keep in mind when you break out your lunar enthusiasm and your camera this weekend.

Find the perfect spot

Ingalls uses Google Maps and other apps to preview the sky from any given street, he says. It requires some research but it's worth it.

Get something else in the shot

If it's just the moon, Ingalls says, there's no frame of reference to help understand just how super the moon is. Make sure to get some trees -- or even better, an iconic monument -- in the foreground of your moon photos.

Let your smartphone reach its potential

Even if you're not a serious photographer with a fancy camera, focus can make or break a photo, Ingalls explains. When aiming your smartphone, be sure to tap the moon so it knows what object is meant to be the star of the picture.

The partial lunar eclipse is set to begin at 9:07 p.m. ET Sunday and will be visible to most people in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, according to EarthSky.org. The total eclipse will begin around 10:11 p.m. ET.

If you're in a cloudy area and can't get a glimpse, you can still watch it in real-time on NASA's live-stream. The feed will offer views from around the country, including Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Whether or not you plan to photograph, don't miss your chance to see this rare celestial event. The last time it happened was 1982, and it won't happen until 2033.