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[Centaur]

The total lunar eclipse of 2011 DEC 10 will be visible before sunrise from western North America. For Chicagoland observers the Moon will be just entering the umbra before it sets and the Sun rises, i.e. we will witness the start of the initial partial phase.

Here is a link to my Moon webpage with a graphical panorama I created to demonstrate several stages of the eclipse as seen from San Francisco: www.CurtRenz.com/moon . The Moon will not set there until after totality has ended. The event timings on my chart are the same for anyone experiencing nighttime, as long as adjustment is made from PST (UT-8). Add 2 hours for CST.

Photos and descriptions of the eclipse would be welcome additions to this thread. Below is a photo I took of the total lunar eclipse of 2008 FEB 20 with Saturn to the left and Regulus above.

[Centaur]

During the morning of the eclipse the Moon will start entering the Earth’s umbra (dark inner shadow) at 06:46 CST. As viewed from the Adler Planetarium the Sun will rise at 07:06 and the Moon will set at 07:07. At that moonset 30% of the lunar diameter will be covered by the umbra. We Chicagolanders will have to head out west if we want to observe totality. But at least we’ll get something, unlike astronomers on the east coast.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Very little is being said about this eclipse, save for Curt's posting on this event.

I'm seriously thinking about heading out and setting up a scope to catch what little observable time we may have with the eclipse.

Weather seems to be looking good - clear but cold.

If it looks good and motivated, I just may set up the C11 by the Adler by 5:00am at the usual Chicago Astronomer spot and see what happens.

We would be the only show in town to display this astronomical event...as brief as it is.

[Centaur]

Dec 9, 2011 0:58:44 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Very little is being said about this eclipse, save for Curt's posting on this event.

I'm seriously thinking about heading out and setting up a scope to catch what little observable time we may have with the eclipse.

Weather seems to be looking good - clear but cold.

If it looks good and motivated, I just may set up the C11 by the Adler by 5:00am at the usual Chicago Astronomer spot and see what happens.

We would be the only show in town to display this astronomical event...as brief as it is.

You sure are a trooper, Joe. I wish you well and hope at least a few people join you. What little you might see of the lunar eclipse will occur during morning twilight. From the Adler the Chicago skyline will obscure the Moon while it is setting and furthest into the umbra.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Curt...

Respiratory aliment getting worse and the cold air of a Chicago lakefront does not lend to a speedy recovery.

I think I'm out to catch this kinda rare eclipse event.

Dang!

[Centaur]

Dec 9, 2011 21:34:41 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Curt...

Respiratory aliment getting worse and the cold air of a Chicago lakefront does not lend to a speedy recovery.

I think I'm out to catch this kinda rare eclipse event.

Dang!

Take care of yourself, Joe. Before retiring for the night, smile at brilliant Lady Luna in her glorious full form. Then set out milk and cookies for her to partake during the night. That should energize her to the point where she can draw those evil spirits from your lungs, and whisk them away to the far side of the universe where they can do no further harm.

[patrickm]

Bummer Joe! Scope set up. Long johns set out. Alarm set. We'll see!

But you, you rest. Seriously.

[patrickm]

I awake from a dream in which I slept through the eclipse to find that I had not--yay!, but that the weather has seriously degraded--boooo!

"Increasing clouds. Patchy freezing fog. Lows around 30. NE wind 10 mph."

They can go a month without a cloud here! #WTF! :-(

Doomed doomed doomed!

[Paulie pchris00]

I also had a dream about the eclipse, but I was observing it- into totality. I'm at Conway Observatory waiting. Mars & Saturn are both looking good. Accuweather says it's 13F in Lowell right now, with a real feel of 8F. I've been here since 3:20, and have spent most of my time inside. I'll do my best to get some sort of documentation.

[Paulie pchris00]

Just a couple thoughts.

This observatory does not hold heat very well. Wish I was around when it was insulated.

I'm going to document where the Moon sets this morning as accurately as I can. I figure wherever it sets today will be quite comparable to where the Sun sets on June 5, and there is a pretty good chance I'll be here on June 5 for the ToV.

[Paulie pchris00]

It's getting darker now.

[-=CROMAN=-]

I caught it up in South Elgin

[Paulie pchris00]

Eighteen minutes is not a very long time. Got good stuff though. Hope to have it posted later. Going to check out Saturn (got the 16" tracking it ;D ), then pack up.

[Paulie pchris00]

Here's a teaser pic until I can get home and get the rest done.

Purdue Calumet's research observatory in the background, right next door to Conway.

Attachments:

[-=CROMAN=-]

elenin.paranomalo.us/2011/12/december-10-2011-total-lunar-eclipse-south-elgin-il/

It was freezing out this morning! The one thing I realized this morning was that I am in desperate need of a DSLR!

[Paulie pchris00]

Nice!

Dec 10, 2011 8:32:38 GMT -6 -=CROMAN=- said:

It was freezing out this morning!

Accuweather said 12F in Lowell around 6:30, with a "real feel" of 7F. Brrrr!!!

Dec 10, 2011 8:32:38 GMT -6 -=CROMAN=- said:

The one thing I realized this morning was that I am in desperate need of a DSLR!

Ditto, only I've known that for quite awhile.

[-=CROMAN=-]

While I was watching the SLOOH feed from Hawaii I noticed a star above the mooon. Here it is side by side with Stellarium... Im thinking its HIP 23784.




twitter.com/#!/iskywatch/status/145515460232888320/photo/1/large

[-=CROMAN=-]

Paulie... Nobody said Astronomy was easy! We are out here battling the elements year round.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Very cool that two of our crack C.A. crew captured images of the brief event this cold morning.

By the looks of the pics, the Chicago skyline would have blocked the eclipse from my usual vantage point by the Adler. My coughing and hacking kept me in bed till Saturday afternoon...

Kudos to Paulie and Rich for braving the cold and fending off wee little beastlies in the pursuit of science!

[patrickm]

Rad guys!

I left scope set up on back of van & we had a third floor room with a view straight west...CLOUDY.

[Paulie pchris00]

At last, full eclipse report.

December 10, 2011

Conway Observatory, Lowell, Indiana

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I’ve seen lunar eclipses before, in October 2004 (the night the Red Sox won the World Series), and was watching a few minutes March 3, 2007. I had never seen one through astronomer’s eyes, though. In January 2008, my interest in astronomy was fully reborn when I took an introductory astronomy course at Purdue University North Central. Conveniently, while I was in that class, there was another total lunar eclipse favorable for Northwest Indiana. I had every intention of catching it.

Instead, on the night of February 20, part of the Valparaiso area was hammered with over 6” of lake effect snow. Weather reports around the region gave me reason to think the snow wouldn’t last, and that I might see something before going to bed. I constantly shoveled the quickly falling snow so that I would have someplace to observe from if and when the skies finally cleared. One of my ex-girlfriends even text messaged me that she could see the eclipse clearly through her window outside of Lowell. All of my work went for nothing, though, as the snow fell late into the night, after the eclipse was over.

Last year’s solstice total eclipse would have been one for the ages, with the Moon nearly as high as it ever gets, on the longest night of the year. Again, it was not to be. All of Northwest Indiana and Chicago were under snowfall. It wasn’t much snow, but the roads were treacherous. Driving to a more favorable location was out of the question.

Finally, for the last total lunar eclipse until April 2014, I was treated to clear skies. The catch for this eclipse was that in Northwest Indiana, the eclipse didn’t really begin until just before moonset and sunrise.

I went outside around 2 AM CST for some lunar and planetary observing before the eclipse. I planned to observe from home, but Jupiter was already low in the sky. Jupiter was going to be disappearing behind neighboring houses, and I was almost certain the Moon would be setting in an even worse area to the northwest. I packed my gear and drove to Conway Observatory to take advantage of it’s low horizon in mostly open fields.

I arrived at 3:20 AM, and took my time getting ready. With the Moon setting so far to the northwest, I wouldn’t be able to use the 16” observatory scope, since the building would be blocking the view. I set up two of my telescopes in the basement, leaving the heat off so that they would be acclimatized when it was time to observe. I checked out Mars and Saturn with the 16”, but not for long. Accuweather said Lowell’s temperature was 12F, with a “real feel” of only 7F. It was too cold to stay out observing for long periods.



Twelve degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr…


I sat in the relatively warm control room browsing the internet, and gathering details of the eclipse to assist my observations. After 5 AM, I took my 6” Dob outside to document the Moon before the eclipse began. After getting my initial lunar images, Mars and Saturn were briefly targeted before retreating into the observatory to warm up again. (I can’t stress enough that I was bundled in many layers, and I was still freezing).








Control pictures of the Moon, before the eclipse started.


The Chicago area was just far enough west to expect to see anything at all. The Moon would enter the penumbra at 5:31 AM CST, but of course, that is an unobservable event. Most predictions for the region said no noticeable darkening of the lunar surface would occur until around 6:45 AM. Moonset in Lowell was at 7:03 AM, and sunrise at 7:04 AM. Even as the Moon entered the umbra, daylight would be brightening the background sky, lending some uncertainty that much of anything would be observed. Nonetheless, at 6:19 I thought I could tell that the Moon was darkening slightly. I almost thought I was imagining the effect, but some of the pictures I captured had a “ghost” image of the Moon. Those images seem to confirm that the northeast lunar limb was indeed darker than the rest of the satellite.




Moonset: 7:03AM CST.




Sunrise: 7:04 AM CST.






The southeastern sky beginning to brighten.




Can’t tell here, but I swore the Moon had started to darken slightly.




Moon over the NIRO observatory. The “ghost” image seems to show a darkening of the northeastern lunar limb.






Still brightening.








The partially eclipsed Moon over the 16” telescope, and the Hunter Astrophoto Lab.




Again, notice the ghost image of the Moon.














Finally, a tiny bite seems to taken out of the Moon.





By 6:38 AM it was clear that a small bite had been taken out of the Moon. It was also clear that the Sun was racing up to the southeast horizon as quickly as the Moon was sinking to the northwest horizon. It’s amazing just how fast the Moon drops out of sight when you’re intently observing. With the Purdue University Calumet research observatory just to the northwest of Conway, I had a photogenic conjunction to capture. I also roamed to various points around the observatory to capture the disappearing Moon from interesting vantages. How many opportunities would I have to catch a partially eclipsed Moon setting over these wonderful astronomical facilities?






Strong evidence of Earth’s shadow now, but the Moon wouldn’t be up much longer.










The combined effects of daylight and Earth’s shadow are starting to wash out the lunar surface.




















Just about to lose the Moon to the horizon.
























The was now gone from ground level.








I caught a few fleeting seconds of The Moon from the pedestrian ramp.










How fitting that I saw Earth’s shadow, the Belt of Venus?

















Sunrise.








Frosty telescope.


Of course I also observed the eclipse while I could through my telescope. I have to admit, the view was disappointing, yet I couldn’t tear myself away from the eyepiece until the Moon sank behind the trees in the distance. Even then I didn’t want to let the moment end, quickly heading up the pedestrian ramp for a higher position, gaining another minute or so before our planet finally rotated too far east to see our companion. I waited for the Sun to peak over the opposite horizon, then went inside to look through my observations. I posted a few of my better images for the world to see, then browsed the internet for pictures coming in from around the world. While waiting for the Sun to melt frost off the telescopes, I did a short solar observation, then closed the roof and called it a session.




Cold astronomer checking out the eclipse online.






Checking out the Sun before heading home.


I finally got to see part of an eclipse through astronomer’s eyes. Being so cold, I’m almost glad it was short, and just before sunrise. A totally visible eclipse would have either turned me into popsicle, or filled my 8GB SD card on my camera. It’s going to be a long wait until the next total lunar eclipse in April 2014. This was just enough to tide me over until then.

[patrickm]

Outstanding report, Paulie! As usual, I stand, err...sit, in awe of your ability, knowledge, and tenacity.

[Paulie pchris00]

Thank you.

I should add that even keeping eyepieces covered, there was some frost developing on them. I had to take them inside next to the heater a couple of times to thaw. Need to remember that I have chemical hand warmers and rubber bands to keep the EPs from dewing/frosting.

[Centaur]

Great report and photos, Paulie! Glad you got to see something. Your dedication is most commendable.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

#Thumbsup#

That frost on the Dob is incredible.

Thanks Paulie for the narrative and pics..glad that the Chicago Astronomers was represented by you and Rich for this eclipse tease.