With a hint of blue, a French night sky photographer added a touch of artistry to this stunning image of the moon.
Astrophotographer VegaStar Carpentier took this photo from Champagne Ardenne, France on April 30, 2013. She used a Canon EOS1000D camera and a Celestron Astromaster telescope to capture the shot.
In the image, the moon is about to reach the last quarter phase. A last quarter moon often appears about half-illuminated from Earth and rises around midnight. After the last quarter phase, one will see a waning crescent phase in the sky. [Phases of the Moon Explained]
The blue color in the moon was added by the photographer during processing. The popular term Blue Moon isn’t a reference to color but rather to the second of two full moons to occur in the same month.
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Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.