The Aug 19 sighting was the first supermoon of 2024 and was also a rare seasonal blue moon. - IVAN GOH/FACEBOOK, LAWRENCE WONG/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE: Ivan Goh raced to Merlion Park right after knocking off from work on Aug 19 to secure a spot to capture the first supermoon of the year.
The 53-year-old manager told The Straits Times that he had even visited the site a day earlier to plan his shots, but was unsuccessful due to thick clouds.
When he reached Merlion Park at 6.28pm on Aug 19, he began to practise his long-exposure shots while waiting. He anticipated that the moon would emerge at the top of the Marina Bay Sands building between 7.45pm and 8pm. Fortunately for him, his hunch was right.
“I’m very pleased with several shots,” he said.
“My main intention was to take the shot of the moon placing right behind the pointed sculpture of MBS Skypark, but too bad, the best vantage point was taken by another photographer.
“I waited until he had taken his shots before I took over his position and that is why the risen moon is much higher in my photos.”
He credited his well-liked photos to Canon R7’s mirrorless camera with a telephoto lens, adding that it enhances the clarity. His patience and camera work paid off – he gained more than 1,000 likes on his post in a Facebook group called CloudSpotting and SkySpotting Singapore, which boasts more than 100,000 members.
He was not the only sky gazer in Singapore rewarded for their patience and strategy when the spectacular sturgeon moon lit up the evening sky on Aug 19. Many others, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, also took to social media to share their photos once the moon appeared.
A check by ST showed that there were more than 80 posts of supermoon photos on Facebook, with enthusiasts taking shots of the celestial body from various angles and locations.
PM Wong’s photo, which shows the moon partially hidden by clouds, in a Facebook post on the evening of Aug 19 read: “A glimpse of the super moon tonight from my office. Hope you all have the chance to catch this rare sight.”
In contrast to Goh, Fong Chee Wai rose at 6.45am on Aug 20, headed down to Bedok Jetty, and was rewarded with sumptuous photos of the supermoon.
Fong, who works in the food and nutrition research and development sector, also shared his images on the same Facebook group page.
For Fong, who used his Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera with 400mm lens to capture the images of the moon and Singapore skyline, it was his umpteenth time taking photos of the supermoon.
He said: “I have always been keen (in taking such photos) and I learnt that there actually is no need to camp out for several hours to spot the supermoons, as long as you know when the moon will rise and in which direction.”
Katherine Liam, who has been a member of the cloudspotting group for the past three years and is also an astronomy enthusiast, said that she was in Choa Chu Kang running some errands at about 8pm when she spotted the rising supermoon.
The 51-year-old housewife said: “I quickly went across the street to get some stuff and saw the moon, so I took the opportunity to capture it, in case it disappeared.
“I took this photo in two separate shots with my Samsung S24+ phone. The first shot included the foreground with the moon and the second shot was taken with (the zoom feature). I combined them using the Snapseed app, using the double exposure effect.”
Liam too makes it a point to take photos of the supermoons every year.
The Aug 19 sighting was the first supermoon of 2024 and was also a rare seasonal blue moon, defined as the third of four full moons in a season. A season usually has three full moons.
It is also called the sturgeon moon, named by Native Americans after the large sturgeon fish, which they believe would be caught more easily during this period.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, appearing 6 per cent to 7 per cent larger and brighter than usual. The Moon is about 360,000km from Earth.
Another lucky skygazer, William Lim, depended solely on his telescope from a rooftop garden to get the winning shot.
The 45-year-old engineer said: “I’ve liked astronomy since (I was) young, but I couldn’t afford one (telescope) at the time. I only managed to pursue the hobby a few years ago by buying my first beginner telescope. Since then, I have regularly shot many of the supermoons. ”
He added that his photo is a composite – meaning that it is a combination of a few photos into one. He tends to use this method as photos captured from the telescope sometimes turn out dull, adding that he has enjoyed taking photos of the previous supermoons along with a group of sky gazing friends.
There will be three more supermoons – on Sept 18, Oct 17, and Nov 15 – that stargazers can look forward to, provided the skies are clear. They will be visible at distances ranging from 357,000km to 361,000km from Earth. - The Strait Times/ANN
