From the August 2014 issue

Sketching a lunar eclipse

Celestial sketcher Erika Rix shows how you can make a series of sketches during a total lunar eclipse.
By | Published: August 25, 2014 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
Erika-Rix

October 8 will mark the second total lunar eclipse of 2014. Rather than guiding you to produce a single drawing during totality, I’d like to encourage you to sketch a sequence of the entire event. Later, when you look back on the experience, the multiple sketches will help you visualize each stage.

This fast-paced drawing technique emphasizes capturing the movements of the umbra (Earth’s dark inner shadow) and its color variances on the Moon, which you later can animate. Here are a few tips you can use.
First, be prepared. Familiarize yourself with every phase of the eclipse, the times they occur, and what to expect from your observing location.

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