Partial Lunar Eclipse, 17th August 2008 - Viewing / Imaging Guide

[iceman]

The Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 17th 2008 will be visible at Moonset for all of Australia, Asia and New Zealand, though New Zealanders will only see the Penumbral stage. Africa and most of Europe will see the Partial Eclipse in it entirety, and South Americans will see the eclipse at Moonrise. North America and Canada won't see this eclipse.

The Partial Lunar Eclipse isn't likely to generate quite the same excitement or media interest as the Total Lunar Eclipse of last August, but they still happen infrequently enough that it's worth making an effort to get up early to check out the Moon as it heads into Earth's shadow.

For Australians and New Zealanders, it will occur as the Moon is setting in the West. In fact for most of us, the Moon will set before it reaches the greatest partial eclipse. West Australian's get the best view this time time around and will see almost the entire eclipse from start to finish.

For more information, including a viewing and imaging guide and where and when you can see it, please see the article:

Partial Lunar Eclipse, 17th August 2008 - Viewing / Imaging Guide (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/?id=63,494,0,0,1,0)

I reckon it's worth getting out of bed for on a Sunday morning.. how about you?

[iceman]

This article has been uploaded.

[MrB]

Cheers for the heads-up!

View from Perth @ 5am:

[erick]

From Melbourne on a mid-winter morning :cold: , probably not. :zzz2:

[Dennis]

Thanks Mike - excellent write up!

Cheers

Dennis

[iceman]

The article has been updated to include local viewing times/altitudes for more cities around the world.

When and Where can I see it? (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,494,0,0,1,0#WHEN)

[Jen]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Thanks Mike i will be up for this one :D this is the first eclipse i will get to see with a telescope :thumbsup::thumbsup:
:D

[Jen]

:sadeyes: looks like the clouds are going to spoil this one :sadeyes:

[i c with 1eye]

Just got home from viewing the eclipes. to iceman yes it was worth it, even at 5c temp. WOW, I seen the moon go from full to cresent in just an hour.
Just used my two eyes and a 7 x 50 Binocs.
Not a cloud in the sky, some realy good affects because of the air just as it hit the horizon
Stayed up all night, did not get to bed till about 7:00
I first noticed it happen at 5:10.
At 5:30 noticed some red tint.
At 5:34 the show started.
At 6:31 set behind Ryde bridge.
This is what is worth living for.
Thank you nature.

[Jen]

:sadeyes: well i stayed up till 5:30am and still no sign of an eclipse i couldnt stay awake no longer, Melboune time said 4:30 start :shrug: so i thought 5:30 would well and truly be into to it so i guessed i missed it again arhhhhhhh :doh:

[beren]

Nice conditions last night in Perth, always great to view something like this :). Being up much of the night I only caught the early stages of the partial eclipse before retreating to warmer environs.

[Blue Skies]

Aargh, no! Why did so many people miss the best part at mid-eclipse!?! I was surprised at how red it was for just a partial. Lovely colour it was, too. Shows how clear the upper atmosphere is at the moment.

[Protiotype]

My intended 'naps' often turn into full sleeps by accident, but I made sure I went to sleep after 3am in Brisbane with my alarm to be adhered promptly at 5am.

Bureau's reported conditions at 6am were: 9.2°C (5.8° AT) 61% Relative Humidity 5kt windspeed (7kt gusts). Not too cold in the scheme of things but my hands did go a bit numb by the time I got back inside to unload my point-n-shoot camera memory..

The eclipse itself - very beautiful being low on the horizon (duh :p) and nicly red too from what I assume is just the moon being low on the horizon (Venus similarly gets yellow).

Of course, I caught last year's TLE, but before that it was another PLE (http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/image1/LE2006Sep07-Fig4.GIF). That one was quite shallow but it represented my first attempt to view satellites and therefore holds a somewhat fondish memory.. The satellite tried was an Iridium flare, but since I got my friends to drive up the elevated Mt Coot-tha (Brisbane), it destroyed the accuracy of my prediction resulting in false claims about bright lights in the sky and just a partial lunar eclipse for us. :P

Of course, I found out how elevation affects an Iridium flare prediction but since that time I've hopefully inspired (or at the very least intrigued) many more friends from pointing out actual satellites. Most memorable perhaps was at choir rehearsal camp this year (you read right!) when I coaxed a small group to trust me pointing at the sky to seek the ISS. It was anxiously late but it did show up a couple of minutes later beautifully bright. I later worked out that my older heavens-above prediction had updated as a result of the ATV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne_ATV) reboost (http://spaceoperations.nasa.gov/iss_reports/reports2008/04-24-2008.htm).

Some of my clearer pics that turned out from fiddling around with manual settings (not necessarily systematic nor planned) on a point-n-shoot camera. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/protiotype/sets/72057594050161885/detail/)