Ryan Hannahoe Wins
AAAA Lunar Eclipse Photo Contest

Click HERE to view other entries.

On the evening of January 20, 2000, astronomers in North America witnessed a total eclipse of the moon. Lunar eclipses occur when the full moon passes through the Earth's shadow. During a lunar eclipse, an eerie reddish color crosses the face of the moon, caused by refraction of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere.

The American Association of Amateur Astronomers ran a contest on the internet for the best photograph of the eclipse. 14 year old Ryan Hannahoe’s photo was judged as the winning entry. Ryan is a member of the Berks County Amateur Astronomical Society in Pennsylvania. 

For submitting the winning entry, Ryan will receive a one year subscription to either Astronomy Magazine or Sky & Telescope Magazine, and a one year individual membership to the American Association of Amateur Astronomers. 

This is what Ryan says about his photograph.

“I took a Barlow eyepiece and hooked it up to the telescope (eyepiece and the Digital camera). On the telescope, I have a locking mechanism that allows about a 5 lb. leeway, so the tube cannot drift. So I locked the telescope and took the picture. Afterwards, I edited it on the computer to bring out more colors. That's why my picture came up so bright. 

“The pictures I took leading up to the eclipse were taken with a 35-mm camera with a 1000-mm zoom lens. The lens was hooked on by a T-mount. To hold the camera in place I used a mono pod.”

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