*** A Return to an Old Hobby, Gazing at The Sky ***
Full Moon tables added for observation planning in 2006-2007
*** The Telescope ***
The hobby involves getting out on fine clear nights, for 'clear' read
cold, and you can see why, I sometimes wish the battery for the tracking motors, also warmed
the underpants.
The observation planning page ( Full and New Moon Tables ) It is essential to plan your
observation knowing when the moon is going to be full, reduced ( partial ) or New ( No Moon ).
I have included a set of tables for 2004 and 2005 to plan this.( Use at your risk )
but here it is :-
Observation logs
The Moon Eclipse 11:30 pm Saturday the 8th November 2003. The weather forcasters got this
right with warnings that it would be a cold clear night, with the strong possibily that
cloud would spring up and spoil the view of the event. On cue at 11:00 pm the bank of
cloud started to come from the South and just as the upper left corner of the moon
entered the earths shadow at 11:35pm the first wisps of cloud started to obscure the moon.
Using my modifed web camera mounted on the telescope eye piece, I was able to wind up the
gain to get a better image and kept recording the output till just after 12:10.
The images below are the result, showing the 11:40 pm image, the 11:50 pm and the 12:05
image with over 25% shadow on the moons face.
I am afriad from that point on, the cloud was just too heavy and I gave up about 12:25.
This is from the venus transistion across the sun on 8th June 2004, I also used the modified web cam and
tried to take a frame every 5 minuets?? . The resultant video is too large for the web site, but
is a great study tool. At least this was an observation that was warm and not cold, as it
all took place before 13:00 hrs.
The 2004 transit crossed the Sun's southern hemisphere while the 2012 event will cross
the northern hemisphere, I hope to catch both.
©"Copyright Shedland Software
design"