Long-time blog readers know that I enjoy photographing eclipses. I’ve caught one lunar eclipse back in 2015, and in 2017 I drove to South Carolina to capture a full solar eclipse.
I know that two more solar eclipses are arriving in the United States in the next few years, but November 19th will feature a nearly-total lunar eclipse right here in my neighborhood.
And I want it.
Based on timeanddate.com, here are the timestamps for the lunar eclipse when it passes through Albany.
Lunar eclipses can be visible from everywhere on the night side of the Earth, if the sky is clear. From some places the entire eclipse will be visible, while in other areas the Moon will rise or set during the eclipse.
| Event | UTC Time | Time in Albany* | Visible in Albany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penumbral Eclipse begins | Nov 19 at 06:02:09 | Nov 19 at 1:02:09 am | Yes |
| Partial Eclipse begins | Nov 19 at 07:18:42 | Nov 19 at 2:18:42 am | Yes |
| Maximum Eclipse | Nov 19 at 09:02:55 | Nov 19 at 4:02:55 am | Yes |
| Partial Eclipse ends | Nov 19 at 10:47:04 | Nov 19 at 5:47:04 am | Yes |
| Penumbral Eclipse ends | Nov 19 at 12:03:40 | Nov 19 at 7:03:40 am | No, below the horizon |
* The Moon is below the horizon in Albany some of the time, so that part of the eclipse is not visible.
So the main part of the eclipse – where you actually see the earth’s shadow upon the moon – starts at 2:18 a.m., and ends at 5:47 a.m., just before sunrise.
I’ve got the photographic weaponry for it. Nikon Df camera, along with my MC-MTO-1000 Russian mirror lens, to make the moon nice and big. And my strong, trusty Vanguard tripod. And a cabled shutter release to minimize mirror slap. My photographic test shots last July showed better success than I had previously achieved in 2015.
I think I can see Alice Kramden up there. Wow, Ralph really did send her to the moon. 😀
As for open air spots? I’ve got a few to pick from in Green Island. I can shoot from the old Ford Motor Company parking lot, for instance. Cloudy weather may force me to relocate to another location; possibly the Corinth Reservoir in Saratoga, or some open land near Thacher Park or Thompson’s Lake in the Helderbergs. A good photographer always has options.
And for a few days ahead of the eclipse, I just have to adjust my sleeping patterns. Instead of snoozing at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., I may need to gradually adjust my sleeping to start at 7:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. That way, I’m not too tired to achieve the goal.
And if you think that’s a delicious concept…
There’s two solar eclipses arriving in the USA in 2023 and in 2024. The October 14, 2023 one is an annular eclipse (creating a “ring of fire” in the sky) and will be visible on its path from Oregon to Texas. Yeah, that’s a road trip for Chuck.
The second eclipse, scheduled for April 8, 2024, will travel from Texas up through New York and into Maine. By “New York,” I mean that the eclipse’s full totality will pass through Niagara Falls and Buffalo and Rochester and Watertown, so again, another road trip for Chuck.
So if I can pull this off… yeah. This will feel nice.
Chuck The Writer 
What fun!! I love a good road trip, and a good eclipse! 😀
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The 2024 eclipse has been on my calendar since the last solar eclipse
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Batteries.
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Now I’ve got to check and see if it will be visible up here and if so at what time. Of course it will probably be snowing but …
I like photographing the moon. The last lunar eclipse I took the camera battery froze before it finished, though. This time I can use the Canon 1Ds and the AC adapter – can’t freeze that!
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