Top 5 Most Recent Articles
Top 5 Most Popular Articles
HOMEPAGE OBSERVING by Alan MacRobert
February's Lunar Eclipse: Ideal Indeed!
"This matches the view in my 15 x 50 Canon IS binoculars very nicely," writes S&T editor in chief Rick Fienberg. He shot this picture from the heart of Brookline, Mass., just as totality was beginning, using a Tele-Vue 85-millimeter refractor as the lens on a Canon 20Da camera; 1-second exposure at ISO 400. Click image for larger view.
S&T: Richard T. Fienberg
I had a visitors at my observatory alternating between views of the slowly progressing eclipse and sights elsewhere using my 12.5-inch reflector under the unnaturally dark full-Moon sky (the Orion Nebula was a chaos of detail, the E and F stars in the Trapezium were easy, so was Rigel B, no sign of Sirius B, markings were still slightly visible on Mars).
The eclipse was a moderately bright one, with the Moon showing pastel orange and red around mid-eclipse. Early Danjon-number estimates that we're getting range from 2.5 to 3.
This eclipse was brighter than the more central one last August — as indicated in this pair of images taken by Gary Seronik using the same telescope, camera, and settings.
S&T: Gary Seronik
Images are pouring in to our photo gallery for this event. Post yours too! And did you have any cool observations or experiences to share? Comment below.
Posted by Alan MacRobert, February 21, 2008
The following comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sky Publishing.
By posting a comment, you agree to our Rules of Conduct and Terms of Use.
By posting a comment, you agree to our Rules of Conduct and Terms of Use.
First comments (from 28)
Eclipse
Posted by Tim Farris
February 21, 2008 At 09:00 AM PST
Students at Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, TN, had a successful night making crater ingress/egress timings. We also made independent brightness estimates at mid-eclipse, then compared our estimates with each other's. The average of the estimates was 2.6 on the Danjon scale.
Tim Farris, Assoc. Prof of Physics & Astronomy, VSCC.
Eclipse
Posted by LS
February 21, 2008 At 09:14 AM PST
I live in Western Washington, and the sky cleared up at 6:55. I thought that the eclipse was about Danjon 1.5. Does the brightness vary from location to location?
No (unless you've got thin clouds or the Moon is near your horizon). —Alan MacRobert
Eclipse Report with Magnitudes
Posted by John Bortle
February 21, 2008 At 09:47 AM PST
I was fortunate last evening that the earlier thin clouds that had prevailed dispersed completely about 9:30 PM and were followed by very clear skies. Not unexpectedly, last night's event was another in the recent series of very bright eclipses. Of the 14 total eclipses I've determined total magnitudes for since 1963, last night's ranks as the second brightest, only outdone by the event of November 2003. Using reversed binoculars and allowing for the necessary corrections, I obtained the following total visual magnitudes of the eclipsed moon from shortly before the onset of totality until a short while after totality ended.
2:49UT -6.9
2:54 -5.4
2:56 -5.0
3:00 -4.5 (totality begins)
3:04 -4.2
3:08 -3.7
3:15 -3.6
3:32 -3.2 (determination nearest to mid-eclipse)
3:40 -3.2
3:47 -3.1
3:55 -3.9 (3 minutes after end of totality)
3:57 -4.6
4:00 -5.6
4:07 -6.8
(continued...)
Eclipse Report with Magnitudes Cont.
Posted by John Bortle
February 21, 2008 At 09:47 AM PST
(...continued)
Throughout the eclipse, the umbral-covered portion of the disk was always distinctly evident to the unaided eye. Likewise, from shortly before totality until some time after it ended, the lunar seas could be clearly seen without optical aid, indicative of a very bright event. On the classical eclipse rating scales, last night's was a 2 on the Fisher Scale ("the naked eye sees "spots" on the eclipsed moon, while binoculars reveal considerable disk detail"). I assign a value of 3.5 for it on the more widely used Danjon Scale. Color-wise the eclipse was definitely closest to being a 3 but the considerable brightness of the shadow's outer regions dictated leaning somewhat toward a 4. Yellowish-white was the prevailing color in the outer umbra, while the northern areas of the lunar disk glowed with a hue reminiscent of what I call "old rose".
I believe that during the closing partial phases I was able to perhaps detect the eclipsed portion of the disk longer than at any previous event in my long observing career. Last night's records indicate the eclipsed portion of the disk remained in view with the naked eye up to 04:57UT, just 12 minutes before contact 4. With 10x50 binoculars it continued visible right up to contact 4!
I'll be interested to read the evaluations of others regarding this eclipse. In recent years, longtime observer Joe Rao and myself have commented between ourselves how often many observers seem to have drastically under-rated the Danjon or general "brightness" level of various eclipses. I expect this is likely due to their not having had anything compare with but other "bright" eclipses in many years.
— John Bortle
The eclipse
Posted by Pat OConnell
February 21, 2008 At 10:04 AM PST
Gary Seronik's photos of the August eclipse and last night's eclipse are right on the mark. I watched the August eclipse from Carlsbad NM, and last night's eclipse from the Minneapolis area. The eclipse pictures are just as I remember the Moon on those nights.
The eclipse
Posted by Michael Peterson
February 21, 2008 At 11:03 AM PST
Conditions in Alexandria, MN were ideal - clear, cold, little wind. I had only expected to see a few minutes of totality during my 9:00 break during my evening shift job at Tastefully Simple, but the team leader actually stopped the line at about 8:20 so we could step out and take a look during the partial stage of the eclipse! Later on, the view during totality was exactly like the best of the photos that have been sent in.
eclipse
Posted by donald h. talbert
February 21, 2008 At 12:20 PM PST
it were more clouds but the moon sometime were seen between clouds sa the moon went into total eclipse sky clear some and to me this were a bright eclips to me put the danjon scale at L=4 this is the most beautful eclipse i never saw.also the brighter eclipse i can remenber seeing. donald
The Eclipse
Posted by Tom Fleming
February 21, 2008 At 03:14 PM PST
Clouds and possible rain had been in the long range forecast for the 20th for the Dallas area, and even as late as 6:00 local weathermen said we would miss it. So, it cleared up nicely about 30 minutes before totality. Our public observing event attracted about 150 persons and a great time was had by all. The Saturn, Regulus, Moon composition was very gratifying.
Sky Cleared!
Posted by Charles Fulco
February 21, 2008 At 07:01 PM PST
The eclipse began in cold, dampness with high hazy overcast in the Port Chester, NY area, but by the time totality hit, the sky turned into this amazingly crisp and clear dome with a very tiny dark moon high in the sky. I think I had the best view I've EVER had of Saturn last night as well (caught it during totality). Did anyone else catch Saturn and find it amazingly sharp?
Lunar Eclipse 2-20-2008
Posted by Enrico the Great
February 21, 2008 At 08:36 PM PST
I observed the eclipse using an 80 milimeter spotting scope (Konus) used mostly at a magnification of 60 diameters. Observation was performed from Sunnyside New York (Borough of Queens, New York City) Heavy light pollution, high altitude cirrus cloud cover and the occasional cumulous cloud hampered observations. Nebertheless it was a memorable event. I observed from shortly before second contact through totality to quite well after third contact.Northern part of lunar disc showed red color, less and less color as one moved south. Gray in south. Colors more intense at lower magnification and with naked eye. After totality was over most interesting sight was one of Tycho's rays on boundary of Earth's shadow (at an angle) Ray was quite prominent. Spotted Saturn's rings also in using same instrument at 60x. Spotting scope not designed for Astronomy.
|
|
|
||
|
|
Date:
|
Sky Publishing, a New Track Media Company
Copyright © 2008 New Track Media. All rights reserved.
Sky & Telescope, Night Sky, and SkyandTelescope.com are registered trademarks of New Track Media
Copyright © 2008 New Track Media. All rights reserved.
Sky & Telescope, Night Sky, and SkyandTelescope.com are registered trademarks of New Track Media
comments (28)