Amateur astronomer Mirko Harnisch said he went up to Lee Stream to appreciate the darkening sky on Tuesday night.
He took a time-lapse and photos of the total lunar eclipse, which was accompanied by an aurora happening at the same time.
"Something like a lunar eclipse is a treat," he said.
Tuesday’s eclipse featured perfect weather and excellent timing, as it happened around midnight.
He visited the same same location for a total lunar moon about eight years ago and a similar thing happened.
Auroras were actually quite common. If the skies were clear and there was some geomagnetic activity, there was a good chance they could coincide with an eclipse.
He had started taking photos of the night sky about 10 years ago and had seen dozens of eclipses.
The night sky drew him in as a means to an end, because it allowed observers to see what would otherwise be obscured in the daytime.
"They’re all extremely spectacular things to witness — and we’ll see one right here in 2028."
The July event would sweep across the South Island, through Milford Sound, Central Otago and Dunedin.
Capturing any photos of a total solar eclipse was a very special thing, because things were so hectic and so crazy in the moment, it was never a given that you would get a good photo afterwards.
Like lunar eclipses, observing each one was different depending on the weather, angles and other circumstances.
Total lunar eclipses were sometimes called blood moons because of the striking hues the moon can turn, although Mr Harnisch does not use the term.
The events usually happen every three to five years, when the moon, Earth and sun are aligned.
The moon moves into the Earth’s shadow and striking hues come from Earth’s atmosphere scattering light from the sun on to the moon’s surface.
Nasa said the next total lunar eclipse would not be until March 2025, although there would be partial eclipses before then. — additional reporting The New Zealand Herald
