March 13, 2019

Solomonic Choice

Originally published January 2, 2010
Dec 31, 2009 eclipse images by (center) Elias Chasiotis, Markopoulo, Greece, and edges Frank Ryan, Ireland

Most times there seem to be too few choices for LPOD, but following lunar eclipses - even minor partial ones - a number of observers in the hemisphere where it was visible submit images (thank you all!). I love having a selection but often the choice is difficult. For this LPOD I didn't cut the baby in half, but took the virtual sissors to two of the contributions. Frank, in Ireland, made an eclipse postcard with scenes of its phases top and bottom and an enlarged mid-eclipse shot in the center - a nice depiction. Elias, in Greece, took nearly the same number of images but overlapped them to map out the Earth's shadow. I pasted the Greek image over the middle one from Ireland to provide at least two perspectives on the event. And in doing so noticed some unanticipated things. Look at the images and in the Discussion section tell and explain the differences. This does sound like a school assignment, but considering that it is a holiday weekend it won't be graded!

Chuck Wood

Technical Details
Central image: Images were captured 15 minutes apart, so the whole composition shows the shape of the umbra and penumbra during two and a half hours (75 minutes before and after maximum eclipse). Equipment used: Bresser Skylux 70mm F10 refractor, Canon EOS 450D, ISO 200, exposure 1/200 sec. Processing and composition in Photoshop CS3.

Related Links
Fred Espenak's diagram for the Dec 31, 2009 eclipse.

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Yesterday's LPOD: Coming Lunations

Tomorrow's LPOD: Sliced Crater

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