Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory Photo Ambassador, a member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical "skyscapes" that connect Earth and the night sky. Join him here as he takes us through his photograph "A Super Worm Moon Rising Over Evoramonte Tower in Spring Equinox."
A "supermoon" rises above Portugal's historic Castle of Evoramonte in this dreamy night-sky photo.
The image features the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere with a beautiful "Worm Moon" — as it is named according to folklore — rising behind the castle's cylindrical towers.
Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon's perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear a little bit larger and brighter than usual.
Related: How the 'Supermoon' Looks (Infographic)
In 1834, a peace treaty known as the "Convention of Evoramonte" or "Concession of Evoramonte" was signed at this castle, ending the Portuguese Civil War, according to the European Network of Places of Peace, an international institution with headquarters in the town. The castle was built in the 16th century by the Dukes Teodósio and Jaime of the House of Bragança, who ruled the region at the time under King Manuel I.
The image above is a result of two combined exposures to help reveal all the details in the moon's disk, as well as in the castle and landscape in the foreground. I captured the images about 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers) away from the castle, using a 600-millimeter Sigma Telephoto lens and a Nikon D810a DSLR camera.
Editor's note: If you have an amazing night-sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.
- Huge 'Pink Moon' Rises in Daylight Over Portuguese Castle (Photo)
- Supermoon and Pink Sky: Full Moon Rises Against 'Belt of Venus'
- The 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' Ends with a Lunar Corona in Gorgeous Time-Lapse Photo
To have a print of Claro's amazing astrophotography, visit his Fine Art Print store at www.miguelclaro.com/prints. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
