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 .

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 (Mike)]

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 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 (Petra)]

Brilliant capture!.

Cheers Petra d.

[Matty P (Matt)]

Great images Ant, the animation is great.

Thanks for sharing.

[cookie8 (Vincent)]

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