2007-03-05

Lunar Eclipse 2007-03-03

As I'd hoped a couple of days earlier the weather played ball and last Saturday night was nice and clear.

So I got to observe the whole of the total lunar eclipse. For some detail of my observing session have a look at the short report I wrote on the SPA BB this morning – I'll be adding my full observing log later on today.

I didn't bother to attempt any photography (other than a few afocal shots with my mobile phone, through the Antares 905 – a small example can be seen above), I just wanted to observe and enjoy the whole event (and it's not like it wasn't going to get photographed by anyone else <g>).

I thought totality was reasonably dark, personally I'd rate it as L2 on the Danjon Scale.

Just one downside to the whole event: I managed to stand on my glasses and scratch them so badly that they're not really useful any more. Thanks to that I think this has been my most expensive observing session yet. It was also kind of annoying to find myself observing a great naked-eye event and find that the only bit of optical equipment I had with me that wasn't working was.... my eyes.

There was a nice little bonus to the whole evening though. After we'd packed up (after last umbral contact), and because there was so much dew on the grass, I stood with my back to the full Moon and noticed a nice, if faint, example of Heiligenschein.

7 comments:

Will Gater said...

Was my most expensive observing session too Dave. Fell on a pile of stone chippings and broke a pair of bins as well as the tripod screws fro my scope. Glad you saw it.

Dave Pearson said...

Ouch!

Still, misery loves company so I feel a little better now. ;)

Ian Musgrave said...

Bad news about the glasses (and binoculars will), but the eclipse sounds wonderful!

Dave Pearson said...

Oh, that's a good point, this is where I should be gloating about it now isn't it? Oh, yeah, it was amazing, much better than comet McNaught....

Yeah, yeah, I know, who am I kidding? ;)

Anonymous said...

Oh, I agree. It was definitely much better than Comet McNaught <cough> <cough>. Finally, we got to see something that those in Pacific parts of the southern hemisphere couldn't.

mark_smith said...

Great report Dave good night this part of lincs as well.

Mark

Ian Musgrave said...

Yeah, McNaught was cool, and nova V1280 Sco wasn't bad (yes, the northerners could see it but it was stuck low in the twilight, we got it high above the horizon in full darkness :-).

But a good Lunar eclipse, where the Moon turns to blood, is nothing to be sneezed at. It rates very high in the WOW stakes. I still remeber my first total lunar eclipse, it was awesome. Not all Lunar eclipses are equal, and you have had a premier one.

If I'm lucky, the August total lunar eclipse here won't be clouded out.