21 February 2008
Total Lunar Eclipse

by Lorenzo Comolli

Tradate (VA), Italy
45°42'44,4" N    8°54'26,1" E   height 305m

Even if this eclipse was not visible from my home in perfect conditions, such as the 3-4 March 2007 one, the unexpected good weather allowed to image many images. The eclipse was visible in the last part of the night, low on the West horizon. The maximum totality was reached at 3.26 UT with the Moon at about 30° heinght. Here are some elaborations from the nearly 1000 total shots I've captured at 5 min intervals.

Animation

AVI animation of the ecliplse, from 0.06 UT to 4.26 UT, at 5 min steps. (2 MB, xvid codec required)


The maximum of the eclipse is when the Moon is darkest and show at best the red coloration. This image, centered at 0.28 UT, is obtained from averaging of 35 images (from a continuous shooting). Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 20cm reduced at f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 800, 35 x 2 s exposures.


The main phases of the eclipse, aligned on the stars. The movement of the Moon is from top-right toward bottom-left. The images was realizet at 2.26 UT (half entrance partiality), 3.01 UT (start of totality), 3.26 UT (maximum), 3.51 UT (end of totality), 4.26 UT (half exit partiality). Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 20cm reduced at f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 400 (part) and 800 (tot), exp times from 1/250 s to 4 s.


All the visible phases of the eclipse, from starting penumbra to exiting umbra. From 0.36 to 4.26 UT.
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 20cm reduced at f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 400 (part) and 800 (tot), exp times from 1/1000 s to 4 s.



The entrance and exit from the shadow show severe contrasts, from the region illuminated by the Sun and the shadowed one. This composition of 2.31 UT with HDR tecnique (High Dynamic Range) show at the same time the red/orange tints of the shadow and the grey illuminated regions.
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 20cm reduced at f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 400, exp times from 2 s to 1/250 s, at 1 stop steps.


The usual color of the Moon is grey, but in truth there are very subtle colorations typical of the kind of rocks, in particular the blue tone are due to titanium rich rocks, while the red one are poorer. The Moon colors can be evidenced only with hi-dinamic images, such as this one obtained from an average of 50 frames imaged with a continuous shot centered at 0.09 UT, before the start of the main phases of the eclipse. Elaboration with a lot of color saturation.
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 20cm reduced at f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 400, 1/1000s exp time.


A medium field view show that the Moon was quite near Saturn (mag 0.6) and Regulus (mag 1.4), respectively at 5° and 2°. The bright point at the left of Saturn is the satellite Titan (mag 8.2), while on the right the farther of the two points is the satellite Japetus (mag. 10.9). Shot at 3.21 UT with a Sigma 18-200 zoom lens, used at 162 mm f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 1600, 30 s exp time (with a 2 s additional shot for the eclipsed Moon).


A wide field view with the Moon in Leon constellation, with Saturn and Regulus. Shot at 3.36 UT. Sigma 18-200 zoom lens, used at 18 mm f/6.3, Canon EOS 350D, ISO 800, 15 s exp time.


Eclipse trail of the main phases, obtained with a single exposure. Fujica reflex camera with 28 mm f/22 objective, Kodak Elite 100 ISO film, exp time of 2h50m, nearly centered on totality, from 2.00 UT to 4.50 UT.


The night was quite cold and very wet, a very different behaviour respect to the lunar eclipse of nearly a year before, when the fohn wind produced a warm night.


For every comment, comolli@libero.it


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