Blue Moon

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "Once in a blue moon." Last night I drove out to Pleasant Valley to catch a photograph of the moon. At around 8 41 p.m., the moon crept above the Sierra Nevada Range to illuminate the idyllic valley. This was a rare opportunity for me. This is only the second time I've attempted to shoot the moon.

First time I tried to photograph the moon, the moon itself washed out. Instead of treating the moon as I would any other bright object, I let the camera determine shutter speed and aperture. My Canon Rebel XT attempted to balance light readings from the whole scene.

This time I focused on the moon itself and and shot in manual mode. (I'll post the settings later.) I'm pleased with the result. I do need to work on producing a sharper image, however.

Anyone who's watched the moon can attest that it's really not blue. A blue moon is the second full moon within a calender month. This was the first occasion for a blue moon since July 31, 2004. A blue moon occurs once every 32 months on average according to yesterday's Sacramento Bee.

The moon had a nice reddish cast last night as it sat low in the horizon.