Sky gazers were treated to the spectacular sight of a 'blood moon' as the last total lunar eclipse for the next three years illuminated the night sky on Tuesday.
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It was an occasion photographer Stephen Keating had spent two weeks preparing for, scaling the Port's many peaks to find the best possible location to capture the blush-coloured moon rise over Nelson Bay.
Ultimately, Gan Gan Hill Lookout came out on top as the best spot to photograph the lunar eclipse, which happens when the moon moves into Earth's shadow.
"This will be the last total eclipse we will see until 2025 but for this time, the Bay was truly blessed to have it appear from the base of Tomaree Head and arc across the headlands," Mr Keating said.
"The moonrise occurred just before sunset and was partially obscured by cloud. However, as the sun set, the moon broke free from the clouds and its magical dance with Tomaree Headlands began."
The Corlette photographer, aged in his 60s, is known locally for his landscape photography of the Tomaree Peninsula, particularly for his shots from above after scaling the area's hills and peaks.
His images generate many likes and comments when shared to community groups and pages on social media.
He also uses those images for his business Port Stephens Images, which specialises in scenic glass splashbacks for kitchens and bathrooms.
Mr Keating was alerted to the November 8 total lunar eclipse through an app he uses to predict where the moon rises and its trajectory through the night.
He then started scouting potential locations to shoot from.
"I initially looked at Gan Gan as it was close to the direction I needed, however the base of Tomaree was partially obscured by Kurrara Hill," he said.
"Four days before the shoot I climbed up and over Kurrara, which was almost impregnable with loose boulders, dense undergrowth and no trails to follow.
"Three hours of searching revealed nothing so I resigned myself to shooting from Gan Gan lookout."
Not only was he looking for an unobstructed view, but one that was a certain distance away.
Mr Keating used a long focal length lens to capture photos moon.
This meant that if he wanted to have a properly focused image of the headlands and moon together, he needed to be at least 1.4km away from Tomaree Headland.
To create the composite image of the moon rising and arcing over Nelson Bay he used two cameras.
"One camera was plotting the position of the moon and its transition during the eclipse while the other camera was taking high resolution images of the moon closer up," Mr Keating said.
"There are nine images that have been stacked together, which puts the moon in the exact position in the sky with the exact eclipse stage composited with a higher resolution of the moon at the exact same time.
"It took a bit of lateral thinking as to how this would work. The weeks of planning minimised the chance that I would end up with nothing at the end of an almost six-hour shoot."
The second camera captured the moon's movement every 15 minutes, which is why you can see the moon moving in an arc through the sky.
Mr Keating said it was about 9.30pm that the moon began to appear red.
According to NASA, during a lunar eclipse the moon turns red because the only sunlight reaching it passes through Earth's atmosphere.
"The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the moon will appear. It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon," NASA states on a webpage dedicated to the November 8 lunar eclipse.
Mr Keating spent six hours on Gan Gan Hill taking photos of the blood moon lunar eclipse, time he said "went quickly".
To reward his efforts, Mr Keating was treated to another natural wonder on Tuesday night.
"The Leonids meteor shower is also present in our skies now and at around midnight a bright meteor appeared to the north lighting up the sky," he said.
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Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
