03.02.07 lunar eclipse report

[Andrew*]

I got some friends to join me for this one. It's rare for me to have company while observing, and it was difficult to entertain them all - show them how to focus, point the scope in the right direction, share out the binos, explain the optics, eclipse, stars etc. etc. - as well as enjoying myself. I told them all to come at 10.30. Little did I know that when I went out at 10 the shadow of the earth on the moon would already be visible. Well I set up and I got 6 people eventually. Unfortunately just as it was getting really interesting, clouds rolled in and covered that particular area of sky. There was just enough gaps in the clouds for everyone to get a peak of the red moon through the scope and binos.

Then my brother called me to make sure I knew about it, and by the time I got off the phone, my friends had decided to go to bed. As soon as everyone was gone, the clouds all cleared off, and I had a chance to get these afocals with the digital compact:

my best of the night: at totality. ISO 200, f2.6, 1 second. In a moment of particular stillness!

higher exposure for a bright red colour - ISO 800, f2.6, 1 second

after totality. ISO 800, f2.6, 1/5 second

I had a go at saturn in between. Boy was it tough to get saturn in focus afocally!

After totality, I saw earths shadow creep back across the moon. The sky was beautifully clear, but clouds were starting to loom and my fingers and toes were numbing up. I packed up hastily and left inside. Now I'm enjoying my own hot chocolate (the best - my own recipe!) and Simon and Garfunkel.

Very soon bed.

Andrew

[Andrew*]

forgot to mention - the first two were using the Celestron 15mm plossl - a surprisingly good performer. The 3rd used the Orion Sirius 25mm plossl. This got dewed up - explains the cloudiness. Saturn images taken through 6mm ortho (166x)

Andrew

[geppetto]

Excellent images Andrew

Great night wasn't it 8)