useful projects for a lunar eclipse

8/12/2019 Useful Projects for a Lunar Eclipse

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Useful Projects for a Lunar Eclipse

By timing to the nearest 5 seconds when a few prominent craters and spots cross Earth's shadow, you can help Sky &Telescopegauge the size of the Earth's silhouette (see end of blog). Clic on image for a larger !iew.S&T: Gary Seronik

Amateur astronomers often plan how they'll take photographs, imagesequences, or even time-lapse videos of a lunar eclipse. But don't

overlook the scientifically useful projects that are just begging to be

carried out. ou don't need anything but clear skies and some very

simple equipment.

Color

!otal lunar eclipses come in a great variety of brightnesses and hues.

"n #ebruary $%&, "rish amateur (ary )ard likened the (oon to *a

red-hot penny* in the sky. But the famously dark eclipse of +ecember

$& was so dim that some skywatchers could notfindthe (oon when

they stepped outdoors near mid-totality

!o help in comparing reports from various observers, even years and

cultures apart, #rench astronomer Andr/ +anjon devised a five-pointscale that is still used today. !o learn how to give this eclipse a

+anjonLrating, go here.

Brightness
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/3304036.htmlhttp://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/CraterTimings1.jpghttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/3304036.html


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#or many years Bra0ilian astronomer 1elio 2. 3ital has led a very

active group of observers in monitoring the brightness of the eclipsed

(oon, not only as it moves across the shadow but also from one

eclipse to the ne4t. #or e4ample, he's found that a total eclipse is fairly

bright if it takes place when 5arth's atmosphere is nearly free ofaerosols. But within a few years after a major volcanic eruption,

eclipses are often much darker. 6ome darkening was even detected

after the 7ctober &, 8&, eruption of (ount 9abaul in :apua ;ew


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eclipse to eclipse, for reasons not yet understood.

!he (oon photo above has prominent features labeledD click the image

for a larger version to print out and take with you to the telescope.

Andclick herefor our predictions of these features' entrance and e4ittimes in the umbra.

Before making your timings, set a watch to accurate radio time signals.

)rite down the time Eto the nearest ? secondsF when the edge of the

umbra crosses the centerof the crater or other feature. "t's as simple as

that !he shadow edge is a little fu00y, so try to judge the part of the

shadow-edge where the light falls off most rapidly, and adopt that for

your timings. Gse a 8.@-inch or larger scope.

"f you carry out any of these simple projects at the ne4t eclipse of the

(oon, please e-mailthe results to me. "'m collecting them for later

analysis.

But no matter what you do, set aside a little time to sit back and enjoy

the eclipse, too
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/CraterTimeTab2011Dec.pdfmailto:[email protected]://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/CraterTimeTab2011Dec.pdfmailto:[email protected]

useful projects for a lunar eclipse

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