Supermoon to grace the skies of Ontario this month
Ontario residents will have the opportunity to witness a supermoon in the night sky next week as the moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its fullest form.
According to the space agency, the occurrence of a full moon at the same time as its closest approach to the Earth is a rare event due to changes in the moon’s orbit shape over time.
As the moon influences tides on Earth, high and low tides can become more extreme when the moon is in such close proximity, attributed to the moon’s stronger gravitational pull when in close range, NASA states.
The supermoon in August will mark the beginning of a series of moon events over the following months, including a September supermoon coinciding with a partial lunar eclipse with the moon at a distance of 257,486 kilometers from Earth.
Another supermoon expected in October will bring the moon closest to Earth at 357,364 kilometers distance. This will be followed by a final supermoon in November when the moon will be 361,867 kilometers away from Earth.
Tips for Photographing the Moon
Taking photographs of the night sky can be challenging due to the low light conditions. Here are some tips from Adobe to help improve your moon photos.
If you possess a digital camera with adjustable settings, set the ISO to 100 for the highest-quality images.
Adjust the aperture to a value between f11 and f16. If the image appears washed out, increase the aperture to reduce light; alternatively, if the image is too dark, slightly widen the aperture.
When shooting in low-light conditions, use a faster shutter speed than usual. Start with a shutter speed of 1/100 and fine-tune it between 1/60 and 1/125 for optimal results.
Having the right equipment, such as a tripod, long zoom lens, and a camera with a self-timer to minimize shaky images, is also crucial.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.