Early Morning Total Lunar Eclipse session at the Adler Planetarium
28 August 2007

The first lunar eclipse of 2007 was mostly clouded out,
(see post: astronomer.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=Observations&action=display&thread=1172996667 )

But the second and last eclipse of the year promised to put on a better showing with much more comfortable temperatures. Adler Telescope Operators started to assemble around 3:00 am Tuesday morning and readying our favorite scopes. We set up by the south entrance of the Adler, and of course...I brought out my favorite Nikon refractor.



I thought I would place the telescope on grass this time, as we would be out standing for quite awhile and it would be more comfortable. I also brought along some classical tunes to play as the event unfolded. Beethoven, Hayden, Vivaldi and Holst welcomed visitors to my scope and I received many compliments and appreciations on the selections and ambiance it provided for the early morning event.

Clouds were spotted at the western horizon and we hoped they would keep at bay, and for the most part they did - early on. A large crowd started to form, (mostly college age), and the group was estimated at about 150 sprawled along the sidewalk and berms around the Adler. Temps were warm and spirits high.



Plenty of telescopes for the public to choose from - Dobs, refractors, reflectors - and like the King and I, they went scope to scope to scope thoughout the early morning. Some attempted to photograph the eclipsing Moon thru telescopes with varying success.

The Moon now started to show signs of the Earth's shadow from the top down - and soon a clear boundary of the shadow was clearly visible in the eyepiece. A very slight tinge of orange color was commencing to paint the lunar surface.



I was kept quite busy. Taking exposures, working the scope and interacting with our visitors - kept me hopping. And the Adler staff was providing a play-by-play description on what was occurring and why for the assembled crowd.

During the first phase of the event, clouds started to move in and it didn't look too promising catching the drastic color change and later phases of the event.



But undeterred, we kept our vigil and maintained our scopes trained on the Moon. People brought along chairs, lit candles - and I enjoyed answering questions and explaining the mechanics of an eclipse and other celestial phenomenon. The clouds were now more heavy, heading our way and sucker holes less frequent - but I managed to capture the crimson change before we lost it...



After a few minutes of teasing, the cloud cover came in and socked the Moon away from us. In the distance, it appeared that we would get another break of clearer sky, so I made my rounds in the meantime and would return back to the Nikon soon.



Here fellow Telescope Operators Fred, Kalvis and myself share a shot.

Walking around, talking with the visitors, I came across fellow Telescope Operator Linda who was set up on the other side of the lawn with a Dobsonian telescope...





Clever fellow Telescope Operator Santiago displays "Santiago's Planetary Nebula" I'm sure we were bombarded by gamma rays during this exposure... The high activity of the crowd is seen in the shots.



The Moon was still covered by thick clouds in the west, but in the east... I noticed it was quite clear over the lake. I whipped the Nikon to Orion and displayed M42 - The Orion Nebula for the visitors. This is my first sighting of Orion for the season, and it heralds the coming of winter....Sigh...



The humidity this morning was a bit high and transparency not great, but the nebula showed it's ghostly shape and the trapezium was clearly visible. I did not plan to target M42 this session. If I had, I would have brought out some nebula filters.



About 20 minutes later, the clouds broke somewhat and we got to view the eclipsed Moon once again. Here Kalvis aims the Nikon to a lower Declination and captures the target.

The Moon was quite crimson now, but also we were losing it to the muck near the horizon. It was quite washed out in the eyepiece, but the camera captured the image much better...



Soon, the entire Lunar orb was lost in the haze and our eclipse event was over.

But as the Sun was starting to light up the eastern sky over the lake, we whipped our scopes around and continued the extended session, and caught Mars, The Pleaides and rising Venus.



I have never observed Venus in the phase it was this morning. Almost like a artist sci-fi rendition, it was very slender and the curve of the crescent was "exaggerated" and bowed in. Excellent!...

The solar disk was rising fast, but Orion still kept it's dominance with his dog Sirius in tow.



By this time, the crowds had thinned dramatically, but many die hards remained to talk with us and enjoyed the beautiful cool and crisp morning.



A gorgeous sunrise was to be had. And it would only get better. I rarely get the chance to greet a sunrise by the Adler, as my observational sessions are cut short by the campus closing down at 11:00 pm. This would be a nice treat after an evening of eclipse watching.



With the high humidity we experienced earlier, it provided a good medium for solar beams to punch thru and paint pathways in the turquoise sky.



Here, as self proclaimed gods of amateur astronomy, fellow Telescope Operator Rob and I pose for our portrait...I think it's very Mt.Olympus like. Also, notice Rob's great sophisticated Takahashi Refractor telescope. Very professional quality instrument and delivering superb views.




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It was difficult to get good sharp images in the later stages of the eclipse, as the muck and light of the horizon washed out the ongoing event. These were the best of the lot.

The day was turning out to be a pleasant summer morning with deep blue skies and with a great evening of looking up behind us... it was all good. Our great Chicago skyline was bathed in the morning dawn and so concluded another successful session.



It was disappointing that the clouds moved in at the end of the lunar eclipse event, but overall we had a great time, but little sleep.

All in the name of science...