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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Christmas Day Partial Solar Eclipse

25 December 2000

I came across these prints that were taken by a pal of mine who I took with me to witness this Christmas day event by the Adler area. (The chick I was with had no interest in sharing this with me - long since jettisoned... ). The Chevelle was green back then and I look young and thin here...!

When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the Adler was shut down tight - closed for this event. I was the only one with a telescope there...

People were gathered and shouted with glee at the arrival of a Telescope. I was using the 4.5' Reflector as my sole scope at the time...long before
the Chicago Astronomer got started or my association with the Adler.

I have always promoted the projection method of solar observation, and it worked out nicely here. Here, I had my homemade finder scope on the 4.5"...using binocular and PVC parts. Worked very well and still have it. I think that perhaps, this was my first crowd of visitors to my scope and I enjoyed sharing the views and discussing astronomy. W.B.B.M Newsradio was there to do a story on the event and interviewed me...

The audio interview is layin' around somewhere, but being that this was a rare event on a Christmas day, I was honored to represent Chicago on this.

It was very cold that day, but I am very glad I took the opportunity to document the eclipse...

[patrickm]

I dig the Devo pose at the end!

[Centaur]

Actually that was a partial solar eclipse.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Damn it!

Corrected.

Thx Curt.

Sigh.

[Paulie pchris00]

Eh. Mistakes happen.

Look at Joe. Famous before he was famous!

I have no recollection of this at all. I wasn't even aware until the last month that there had even been a partial solar eclipse on Christmas 2000.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Is this how Carl Sagan started?

I had been planning this excursion to catch the X-Mas Eclipse months before. But, I was involved in a one-way relationship and un-sure what was gonna happen. I had thought about setting up the scope outside of our apt in Chicago's northside, but I assumed that the Adler would have a big event going on and I wanted to see it through bigger scopes and with the pros. And in the end...it was just me and the scope...

When returning back home, she was miffed that I got interviewed and was the least bit interested on the event... #bored# Book smart, but self-centered stupid.

And...for awhile, while involved in this mess, I left astronomy.... concentrating on other matters.

It was a mistake.

Now, I found a cool chick who supports and assists me in my astronomical endeavors - which is very cool.

Venus transit awaits!

[Centaur]

No problem, Joe. I too do plenty of things that need correcting.

I was at my now late parents' home on the Fox River that Christmas. We viewed the eclipse by simply channeling the sunlight through a pinhole and on to a sheet of paper. Check out my thread in this eclipse forum for the Non-Eclipse of December 24. Will any Chicago Astronomers be headed to northern Canada to report to the rest of us about the great non-event?