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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

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The Chicago Astronomer Total Lunar Eclipse - 20 February 2008

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With bitter cold temperatures, I and my fellow Chicago Astronomers and Adler crew set up telescopes in the single digit winter elements for the last Total Lunar Eclipse until 2010. Despite the freezing temps, it was not an event to be missed and damn the cold.

We gathered in the Adler prep room and updated on the evenings events. I and a small group of Telescope Operators bundled up and got telescopes of our choice. I had multiple layers on, thermal underwear, ski-pants and mitten gloves that serve me well. I was so bundled that I was overheating inside and had to doff off stuff.

Shown are Myself, Steve and Linda in a quiet moment before the visitors swarmed upon us.

We set up just outside the Adler Planetarium's South entrance and used the building as a improvised wind break. I brought along my astro radio and had on classical tunes dialed in, which added a nice ambiance to the event and gave it a noble feel. Somewhere during the evening, Gregorian chants came on...which was kinda cool.

I had two telescopes at my use for this evening. My Mighty Adler Nikon refractor - used it for direct observation and a 5" Meade refractor strictly utilizing it for imaging - side by side. I attached my Canon Powershot S3 via a cool adapter Adler Telescope Operator Steve obtained and it enabled an excellent mating of camera and telescope.

With the weather, I did not know the number of visitors we would get, but I expected a small handful. Were we surprised. The Adler had over 700 and close to 800 visitors willing to brave the cold and stand in line outside to catch a glimpse of the eclipsing Moon in our telescopes.

Amazing!

It started out easy and slow, but the crowds started to assemble in great mass as the time of total immersion, 9:26 pm, approached. I was surprisingly warm...all except my toes. Even with chemical heating pads, the cold invaded our shoes. But, one visitor after another, we shared the lunar spectacle with our guests and many were amazed and thrilled at the sight of the redding Moon in my eyepiece. I had originally a 40mm wide-angle eyepiece, but switched to a 25mm for a tighter capture. Fellow Adler Telescope Operator Rob, next to me, had his homemade reflector targeted on Saturn, which was at seven o'clock to the Moon this evening. I anticipate many Saturn observation evening this spring and summer, catching the ring system before it makes it's vanishing act in 2009.

Several of the Adler crew worked the Doane Observatory, which also had their long lines, but I stayed at the front and attended to the long lines before us. we had two refractors, one Newtonian and a 6' dob for the public. I was manually tracking the two scopes, it was frustrating when the Alt axis slo-mo control knob failed, and I had to nudge it along for the remainder of the evening, disrupting my imaging session.

The following images were captured during the 4 hour eclipse event:

This is a montage of the beginning event to just after emerging from totality

The Canon Powershot performed great. I was having a problem tho with the occasional wind that kicked up, blurring some of my images.

At around 11:00 pm the lunar show was at end, the crowds dissipated and we brave and resilient astronomers weathered the 5 hours well...with all our fingers and toes intact.

Shown are Telescope Operators: Myself, Linda, Steve B, Vladi, Rob, Jude, John and Larry - Adler Astronomer

Not shown, but hard at work are, Fred, Steve C, Jeff

Despite the arctic-like temps, it is always an enjoyable experience to observe a rare celestial wonder and share it with those who wish to experience it as well.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

The Chicago Tribune highlights Chicago Astronomer Steve C

The Chicago Tribune did a nice story on the activities at the Adler Planetarium last night and included a video of the eclipse progression. The primary overvoice is of Steve Cosgove - Chicago Astronomer and Adler Telescope Operator. He did a nice job describing what was going on.

You can also hear me in the background describing the Earth's curvature to a visitor.

Cold doesn't deter astronomy buffs on night of lunar eclipse
Frigid temperatures don't deter astronomy buffs, as clear night and aligned orbs offer rare view of moon

tinyurl.com/2s56oq

Tribune Story:

From young would-be astronauts to curious college students to note-taking hobbyists, hundreds of Chicagoans fought the frigid February air outside the Adler Planetarium to gaze at Wednesday night's eclipse, the last total lunar eclipse until December 2010.

As a shadow slowly spread across the bright, full moon, darkening the ivory white to a rusty orange, lakefront observers craned their necks and blew on icy fingers. Many turned telescopes, binoculars and camera lenses toward the spectacular night-sky display over Lake Michigan, hoping to view the rare event more closely.

Some of the younger attendees gave their own astronomy equipment a trial run with the rare, cosmic event, including 10-year-old Arthur Sredni, who chattered about lunar modules while his father, Jacques, tried to find the moon in their telescope.

"It's a nice day for an eclipse," Arthur said. "We are freezing though. Why couldn't it be in summer or something?"

The event held deeper meaning for observers like Carol Gloor, 62, of Chicago, who journeyed out to the planetarium in memory of her recently deceased father, an amateur astronomer.

"It's been the best night of winter," she said. "It's so moving to see the shadow of the Earth here projected up there."

Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth is perfectly positioned between the sun and a full moon, causing Earth to throw its shadow across the lunar surface. During the eclipse, the thin ring of sunlight that remains around the Earth can create a spectacular show of color on the moon, with hues varying from copper orange to brick red, Adler Planetarium astronomer Larry Ciupik said.

"Eclipses range from being totally invisible to being quite bright," Ciupik said. "It's an interesting way of looking at what is in the atmosphere of the Earth. The darkness of eclipse can be related to the health or the amount of dust in Earth's air."

Etalaya Damiani of Tinley Park responded to the moon's gradual change of color in more emotional terms.

"It's one of the most incredible, ethereal, magical, enchanting experiences one can ever experience," she said.