Partial Solar Eclipse from Essex UK (01/08/08)

[ant]

I had the day booked off of work, the weather forcast could have gone either way TBH. With clear blue sky one minute and threatening clouds the next.

So I set everything up with the plan of standing out in the rain with a brolley over the scope if needed!

As it happened we had a few minutes every now and then where cloud got in the way but over 95% of the eclipse was clear.

So I'm suite happy.

Here are some images from the eclipse, I have 304 images to look through - but these are first contact, mid eclipse and last contact (9:34am, 10:20 and 11:06 respectivly). I thought that the eclipse started at 9:04 rom my location and I was all set up and waiting and then nothing happened. Thought that someone had nicked the moon :D .

I'll be working on an animation over the next few days.

First contact, at around 09:34am.

http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7477_normal.jpeg


Mid Eclipse at around 10:20.
http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7478_normal.jpeg

Last contact at around 11:06
http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7479_normal.jpeg

I wanted to get a littler larger image scale for the eclipse, the FOV with the 300D and the ED80 is Huge. So I added a 2" 2x barlow (lens only) which was screwed into the 2" adapter from the T ring. I guess this gave me a 1.6 increase in image scale. I then had to use the diagonal to get enough out focus.
http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7480_normal.jpeg


Hopefully an avid young astronomer in the making...
http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7481_normal.jpeg


Thanks for looking!
Ant

[iceman]

Excellent images, Ant! Well done.

I bet it was a thrill.

[ant]

It wasn't the best eclipse I've seen (only 11%) from my location. But it is always good to see. Besides it's the first one I've observed with my little boy :)

Managed to take 304 images, I'm still working my way through them - feel a little :P at the moment.

Cheers
Ant

[ant]

I managed to pull together an image every three minutes - with the last half dozon or so much closer together.

Sorry for the large size - it's 4.5MB (is that OK? if not I can make smaller - but not tonight).

http://ukastronomers.com/ant/image/7493_normal.gif

Cheers
Ant

[spacezebra]

Brilliant capture!.

Cheers Petra d.

[Matty P]

Great images Ant, the animation is great.

Thanks for sharing. :)

[cookie8]

Lovely images Ant! I like the first contact ones. Cool!:thumbsup: