Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy shows you don’t need some fancy location to capture an amazing image. While photography is often about being in the right place at the right time, that “right” place can be as humble as a chain hotel parking lot. And he recently captured an incredible shot of a blood moon eclipse in exactly that.
The eclipse happened on August 27, 2026, and was a near-total lunar eclipse, with Earth’s shadow covering 96% of the moon’s surface. The natural satellite turned red-orange because the light from the sun passed through Earth’s atmosphere. Our atmosphere filters light so reddish hues slip through to the other side while other colors (like blue) are angled away. As a result, the moon had an eerie glow for those in North America, Europe, and Africa.
McCarthy snapped thousands of photos in rapid succession from the parking lot of a Quality Inn in Florida. Despite the “glaring streetlights,” he captured an incredibly clear view of the moon in its crimson glory. While the color was visible to the human eye, camera sensors helped improve its fidelity. The resulting image represents his “perfect moment.”
Like many of his images, the photographer had a short print run of this photograph. To see what he’s working on next and maybe snag a picture of our incredible sky, you can follow Andrew McCarthy on Instagram.
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy captured an amazing shot of a recent blood moon eclipse from the parking lot of a Quality Inn in Florida.
Nothing quite like a timelapse of a celestial event.
Here’s some behind the scenes of my latest lunar eclipse capture! https://t.co/MdSf4QNmAg
— Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) August 28, 2026
