The Flower Supermoon 2021 rises above Rome: an unforgettable experience – 26 May 2021
The Flower Supermoon was a unique experience in Rome: we admired it rising above the legendary monuments of the Eternal City, offering a breathtaking view.
The Flower Supermoon rises above Rome. 26 May 2021.
You know: we love the full Supermoon. While it has nothing to do with astronomical science (and we always say that it is simply a full Moon closer than on average – Moon at perigee – so a bit larger and brighter than usual, something very hard to note, by the way), this term has a great impact on the public and we believe the Supermoon is a huge opportunity to invite people to look up and discover the beauty of the night sky.
This May Supermoon had for me something special: not only it was the largest of the year, but it was the first astronomical event I was going to image again among the monuments of Rome, the Eternal City. These last 18 months I did all my images from the roof of my house, because of the pandemic and the rules to limit its impact. This time, with the pandemic risk quickly dropping, I managed to go to the heart of the city, of course using a professional grade mask and other precautions.
My idea was to image the Supermoon at sunset, as in the past, when it obviously rises, being close to the skyline of the city. Living in Rome is unique, as you have there some of the most celebrated monuments worldwide: exploiting this opportunity while imaging the sky has been one of the leading themes of my photographic activity since the beginning, decades ago.
My imaging gear, this time, consisted in a Canon 5DmIV DSLR with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM II lens, just perfect for my needs. An heavy duty tripod completed the setup. I had everything ready to go 40 minutes before sunset.
The Supermoon knocks on the heaven’s door.
The Moon rose over the mounts soon after the local 09:00PM, when the sky was quickly darkening and the city had switched on many of its street-lamps. But the residual twilight made possible to capture the wonderful atmosphere I’m trying to share with you here. Trust me, it was one of those views you will never forget.
On the pictures above, it is easy to recognise the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian), the Pantheon’s dome, the Altar of the Fatherland, Palazzo Senatorio (Capitoline Hill) and the Ara Coeli Church.
These events teach us how every single second, every single instant matters. The light changes, colors change, the Moon moves and every view is something completely new.
Ephemeral clouds gently play with the Supermoon. 26 May 2021.
Once the Moon was a bit higher in the sky, I used a wider focal length to include more of the stunning panorama below the Flower Supermoon.
A wider view on Rome and the Supermoon. 26 May 2021.
Once the sky was much darker, I ended my imaging session: below you find a final view, with the city and the towns on the mounts ready for the night.
A final view before leaving the show.
Of course, I did not resist and captured a close-up of the Flower Supermoon, saying her “Goodbye” and thanking her for this unforgettable experience.
The Flower Supermoon 2021.
Keep looking up!
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