Catching the Eclipse Last Night: A Tale of Cold and Clear Skies

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    Cold Eclipse
In summary: I'm glad I could see it.In summary, the eclipse was visible in a small area last night, but it was still a great event.
  • #1
NerfMonkey
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Did anyone else catch the eclipse last night? I drug out the Dob around 9:30 and watched until 11:15 or so. It was brutally cold but totally cloudless and clear for most of the night. Saturn was right there too, at opposition I believe; so I got some good views of it too.

I took a bunch of pictures but the only ones showing the rusty color that are any good are these two:

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/4769/eclipse003pn1.jpg
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4986/eclipse027jc3.jpg
 
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  • #2
Nice pics!
 
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  • #3
Why? Lunar eclipses are visible pretty much anywhere the moon is visible. It's solar eclipses that are visible over small areas.
 
  • #4
Disregard. Thanks for the compliment.
 
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  • #5
NerfMonkey said:
Thank you.


I said nothing about it being visible in a small area. Lots of places were too cloudy to see the moon and I wanted to share some photos with the community. If you didn't care to see them or discuss the eclipse you shouldn't have opened the thread.

Sorry Nerf, this is my fault! I mentioned that the eclipse would have been only visible in your area as I confused solar and lunar eclipses in a brief brain fart. I quickly edited this away (as you can see from the times stamps) but Vanadium posted clearly without having seen the edited version. He was responding to me not you! Think first then post is the lesson I've learned here. Sorry to cause confusion!
 
  • #6
I also saw the eclipse, but from a plane ! Almost nobody (around me at least) realized that.
 
  • #7
I saw a plane go over while out with the telescope and wondered if those people had a good view of it. Very cool.
 
  • #8
A good lunar eclipse is a fantastic site. I once had a first date watching a Lunar eclipse (nerdy and romantic at the same time!). I'm not sure if it was some kind of pagan omen but some years later we are now engaged :)
 
  • #9
Wallace said:
A good lunar eclipse is a fantastic site. I once had a first date watching a Lunar eclipse (nerdy and romantic at the same time!). I'm not sure if it was some kind of pagan omen but some years later we are now engaged :)

That is nerdy and romantic! Congrats!

Sadly, I was one of the ones who couldn't see it because of clouds all night. Very nice photos!
 
  • #10
I photographed the eclipse a few times, and some of the pics had a red dot in the top left of the picture. At first i thought there was something wrong with the camera, then i zommed into it and saw little stripes going across it. Was that Saturn?
 
  • #11
Quincy said:
I photographed the eclipse a few times, and some of the pics had a red dot in the top left of the picture. At first i thought there was something wrong with the camera, then i zommed into it and saw little stripes going across it. Was that Saturn?

It might be one of the debris from the burned satellite streaking out?
 
  • #12
NerfMonkey said:
Did anyone else catch the eclipse last night? I drug out the Dob around 9:30 and watched until 11:15 or so. It was brutally cold but totally cloudless and clear for most of the night. Saturn was right there too, at opposition I believe; so I got some good views of it too.

I took a bunch of pictures but the only ones showing the rusty color that are any good are these two:

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/4769/eclipse003pn1.jpg
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4986/eclipse027jc3.jpg

Good pictures! I don't have a good camera (it's good enough usually) and it was kind of cloudy here, but oh well.

It's just amazing that people in so many places were all watching it at the same time.
 
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1. What is an eclipse?

An eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when one celestial body passes in front of another, blocking its light and temporarily darkening the sky.

2. How often do eclipses occur?

Eclipses occur on a regular basis, but the frequency depends on the type of eclipse. A total solar eclipse, where the moon completely blocks the sun, happens approximately every 18 months somewhere on Earth, while a lunar eclipse occurs about twice a year.

3. What makes a clear sky ideal for viewing an eclipse?

A clear sky means there are no clouds blocking the view, allowing for a better and more detailed observation of the eclipse. This is especially important for a solar eclipse, where the sun's corona (outer atmosphere) can only be seen with a clear sky.

4. How does the temperature change during an eclipse?

During a total solar eclipse, the temperature can drop by several degrees as the moon blocks the sun's heat. This is due to the sudden decrease in incoming solar radiation. However, the temperature change is typically only noticeable in areas where the eclipse is total, not partial.

5. What can be learned from observing an eclipse?

Eclipses provide scientists with valuable opportunities to study the sun, moon, and Earth's atmosphere. By analyzing the changes in light, temperature, and other factors during an eclipse, researchers can gain insight into the behavior and composition of these celestial bodies.

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