December 2016 Supermoon: another great show (13 Dec. 2016)
The 13/14 December 2016 Supermoon was another great show in Rome. Here we share some images captured during the live feed provided by the Virtual Telescope.
The Supermoon is rising above Rome on 13 Dec. 2016, with the “Nero’s Tower” and the “Altar of the Fatherland” well visible
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he December 2016 supermoon and its show, once again, did not disappoint us. While this was the third Supermoon of 2016, with us quite used to them, seeing it rising in Rome was a breathtaking experience. Once again we planned a live feed to share it with people worldwide. Of course, while the best sight is looking at the Moon with your very own eyes, the skyline in Rome truly adds a lot, so we were happy to make it available on the web.
At sunset I was ready to start. I selected once again the Gianicolo Hill in Rome as my observing site, because of its location, looking east and with a clean horizon, providing an amazing view for rising astronomical objects. While on 14 Nov., on the occasion of the “super” Supermoon, the sky was partially cloudy at sunset (when the full Moon rises), improving later in the night, this time the weather was simply perfect since the beginning.
I had with me one of my Canon 7D mark II DSLR bodies and my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, with a sturdy tripod to keep all this stuff. I had with me my personal computer and my mobile wifi connection.
Everything is ready to image the Supermoon
A lot of people were waiting for the Moon to rise there, though the media did not mention this Dec. Supermoon as much as they did for the Nov. (record!) one. As soon as a small piece of the lunar disk showed, I started imaging. There was a cloud partially covering it, making the vision even more intriguing, but soon the Moon was completely clear. Because there was natural light all around (we were at dusk), it was possible to grab the Moon together with the legendary monuments of Rome.
The”Altar of the Fatherland” in Rome is facing a wonderful Supermoon at its rise, on 13 Dec. 2016
People were attracted by the stuff I had with me and were curious to see what I was doing, also because I was talking (apparently alone) for those at home. I must say I’m happy with this “roving” setup, making possible this kind of live events, when I do not use my telescopes.
The imaging setup and the observing site, with the Moon on the distance
The image below was one of the last ones I grabbed, before to leave. I must say it was a great experience, once again. I truly love imaging the Moon at twilight and I will continue exploring Rome to look for new places where the Sky and the Earth meet.
The Moon is dominating the skyline above Rome on 13 Dec. 2016. The “Nero’s Tower”, the “Altar of the Fatherland”, the domes and the bell tower of Santa Maria Maggiore’s Basilica and the Ara Coeli are easy to recognize.
Below is the podcast of the live feed we offered. I hope you enjoyed it!
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